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RATIONAL ELOCUTION 



A THOROUGHLY PRACTICAL TREATISE ON 

THE SCIENCE AND ART OF HUMAN 

EXPRESSION 



Isaac Hinton Brown 

«v 

Late Instructor of Elocution and Physical Culture in the University 

of Missouri; Superintendent City Schools, Columbia, Mo., 

and author of •Common School Elocution and 

Oratory," "Manual of Oratory," etc., etc. 



" The Essence of Language /i&r^fiT3%P7?trHu 

NOV 17 1896 

CHICAGO S%3$ 

A. FLANAGAN, publisher 



Utterance.'' 



&' 



£7* 



COPYRIGHT, 1896, 

BY 

CHARLES W. BROWN 



BROWN'S POPULAR READINGS. 

This is a new collection just out and contains everything that is fresh and popular, 
Also many rare and curious pieces that can not be found in any other collection. It 
also contains the only collection of ENCORE RECITATIONS published. To those 
who always want " something new," this is the one that will fill the want. 

This popular series will be found indispensable to students using Rational 
Elocution, since many selections referred to in this text can be found only in this 
series. Price, 25 cents each number. 



PREFACE. 



The purpose of the author in this book, as its title implies, 
has been to present the science of human expression in a manner 
so simple, so concise, and so reasonable, that no student with 
average zeal and ability would experience difficulty in compre- 
hending and applying its principles. 

While an effort has been made to render the exposition 
free from many of the technical and professional theories found 
in other works, every principle announced and enforced has 
been drawn from nature by the most scientific researches rec- 
ognized by the foremost teachers and writers of Europe and 
America. 

The prominence given to the subject of respiration is justi- 
fied in the recognition of its three-fold relation to Elocution: 
First, energy and ease of exjn'ession are largely dependent upon 
a proper control of the respiratory organs; second, the correct 
training of these organs in early life and their judicious exercise 
at all times, conduce to greater vigor of mind and body than is 
otherwise possible; and, third, the natural system of breathing 
during vocalization, reinforced by the teachings of science, has 
been found an almost absolute protection against all forms of 
lung and throat diseases. 

The skillful use of Slides, Waves, and Pauses, and the in- 
telligent application of Emphasis being so essential to intelligi- 
ble and impressive reading and speaking, much space has been 
devoted to these subjects. 

Recognizing the justice of much that has been written 
and said against the modern tendency of popular reciters and 

3 



I* UK FACE. 



declaimers to run into the stilted, unnatural and offensively af- 
fected, thus bringing the study of Elocution into disrepute, 
the author has insisted upon reality, intelligence and genuine 
human sympathy as the basis of all delivery. 

The editor hereby acknowledges his sincere thanks to the 
many writers and publishers who have kindly permitted the 
use of their excellent selections for this book. 

Charles Walter Brown. 
St. Louis, March 30, 1896. 



CONTENTS. 



GENERAL OUTLINE. 

PAGE PAGE 

Elocution 11 "Requirements of Good Elocution 12 

Its Purpose and Value 11 Benefits of Elocution 12 

How Acquired 11 Who Should Study Elocution 13 

READING. 

Its Importance 13 The Reader's Position 15 

The Two Kinds of 14 Outline of Beading Work 15 

Requisites for Each Kind 14 Test of Results 16 

RESPIRATION. 

Definition 16 Methods of Breathing 18 

Processes 16 Respiratory Exercises 19 

Importance 16 Miscellaneous Exercises 21 

GESTURE. 

Definition 23 Direction of Movement . 27 

Kinds of Gesture 23 Mode of Gesture 28 

Requisites of Gesture 23 Exercise in Physical Expression 29 

T lie Walk 24 Exercises in Gesture 31 

The Bow 24 Facial Expression 33 

Attitudes 24 Exercises in Facial Expression 35 

The Four Positions 25 General Hints Upon Gesture 36 

PRONUNCIATION. 

Definitions and Principles 38 Difficult Comhinations 45 

Articulation . . 39 General Exercises 45 

The Elementary Sounds 41 Common Errors 50 

Exercises in Articulation 42 English Words 52 

Illustrative Tables 43 Foreign Words and Names 56 

VOICE AND SPEECH CULTURE. 



Definitions and Principles 60 Voice Preservation . 

5 



CONTENTS. 



MODULATION. 



PAGE 

Definition 63 

Mode of Utterance 63 

Slides— Classification 65 

Principles and Illustrations 66 

Waves— Classification 70 

Laws and Illustration 71 

Pa uses— Their Uses 75 

Principles and Illustrations ... 76 

Quantity 80 

Emphasis 81 

General Laws 82 

Miscellaneous Exercises 84 

Slur— Exercises 85 

Quality of Voice 87 

Pure Tone 87 

Orotund 96 

Plaintive 102 

Pectoral 105 

Guttural 107 

Aspirate 109 

Nasal 112 

Falsetto 115 

Force 119 

Divisions of Force 120 

Subdued Force 121 



PAGE 

Full Force 124 

Sustained Force 126 

Stress 128 

Division of Stress 129 

Kadical Stress 129 

Median Stress 132 

Final Stress 134 

Compound Stress 137 

Thorough Stress 139 

Pitch 144 

Divisions of Pitch 145 

Middle Pitch 146 

High Pitch 147 

Low Pitch 150 

Movement 151 

Definitions and Principles 151 

Classes of Movement 152 

Moderate Movement , 152 

Slow Movement 154 

Kapid Movement 156 

Melody 157 

Definitions and Principles 157 

Miscellaneous Vocal Exercises 159 

Medley^ Drill 160 



ORIGINAL DISCOURSE, 



Importance 164 

Extemporaneous Speech 164 

Conversations 165 

Public Speaking 166 



Moderate Force 166 

General Eequisites 166 

Speaking from Notes 168 

Method of Criticism 168 



READINGS AND RECITALS. 



Page 

Abou Ben-Adhem Leigh Hunt. . . . 228 

Ambition of a Statesman Henry Clay 179 

America John Ernest McCann 300 

An American Exile Isaac Hinton Brown 170 

An Evangel Francois Coppee 295 

Appeal in Behalf of Ireland S. S. Prentiss 127 

Apostrophe to the English Language George Bancroft 140 

Apostrophe to the Ocean Lord Byron 98 

Beautiful Things .Ella P. Allerton . . . . 230 

Becalmed 241 

Bewitched Clock, The . ... 113 

Boys, The Ethel Lynn .... 288 

Brutus, on the Death of Csesar William Shakespeare 299 

Catiline's Defiance George Croly 135 

Cause of Temperance, The John B. Gough 277 

Christmas Reminiscence, A Harriet Adams Sawyer 211 

Christmas Tree, The .... 290 

Christian Maiden and the Lion, The T. A. Durivage 244 

Compensation 286 

Conquered Banner, The Father A. J. Ryan 178 

Country Justice, The . ... 116 

Ousters' Last Charge Frederick Whittaker 304 

David's Lament for Absalom N. P. Willis .... 106 

Deacon Stokes Thomas Quilp 260 

Deacon's Story, The N. S. Emerson.... 250 

Death of Little Paul Charles Dickens 94 

Death of Marmion, The Sir Walter Scott .... 233 

Death of the Wife . . . . 154 

Defense of Hofer 176 

Der Shtubborn Mooi. 268 

7 



8 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Page 

Despair J. G. Holland 216 

Dilemma, The O. W. Holmes .... 213 

Don't Be Tazin' Me Wade Whipple .... 294 

Duelist's Victory, The George T. Lanergan 209 

Dying Boy, The Mrs. Sigourney 142 

Evening at the Farm J. T. Trowbridge 302 

Flag of the Rainbow Thomas Dunn English 303 

Ghost That Jim Saw, The Bret Harte .... 256 

Girl of the Period, A .... 266 

Give Me Three Grains of Corn, Mother Miss Edwards 104 

God's Beautiful City B. F. Taylor.... 91 

Gladiator, The .... 122 

Happy Young Girl, A Eugene J. Hall 92 

Harvest of Rum, The Paul Denton 276 

Hate of the Bowl .... 275 

His Mother's Songs — .... 228 

How A Frenchman Entertained John Bull . . 297 

Impeachment of Warren Hastings Edmund Burke .... 258 

Incident of the French Camp Robert Browning 218 

Joseph Rodman Drake Fitz-Greene Halleck 215 

Kit Carson's Wife . . . . 284 

Lasca F. Desprez 204 

Last Charge of Ney, The J. T. Headley .... 247 

Leadville Jim W. W. Fink .... 264 

Legend of St. Christopher Miss Muloch 202 

Leonidas George Croly 31 1 

Liberty or Death Patrick Henry 147 

Little Black-Eyed Rebel, The Will Carleton .... 254 

Long Ago, The B. F. Taylor.... 150 

Lord of Burleigh, The Alfred Tennyson 225 

" Lynch for Lynch " Arthur Matthison 269 

Love Triumphant 292 

Macbeth's Vision William Shakespeare 110 

Man's a Man for a' That Charles Mackav 263 



READINGS AND RECITALS. 9 

Page 

Marco Bozzaris Fitz-Greene Halleck 224 

Mariner's Dream, The William Diamond 198 

Marmion and Douglas '. Sir Walter Scott 100 

Maud Muller 219 

Medley Drill 160 

Memory James A. Garfield 121 

Miser's Death, The Osborne 272 

Music of the Human Voice, The . . .William Russell 146 

My Experience at the Dentist's — 255 

My Mother Sir Walter Scott .... 291 

Mother's Sacrifice, A . . . . 199 

Nathan Hale, The Martyr Spy Isaac Hinton Brown 306 

National Banner, The Edward Everett 99 

" O, Bairnies, Cuddle Doon" .... 214 

On The Concord Road ..... Will Carleton ... . 249 

Over The Hill from the Poorhouse Will Carleton .... 192 

Our Ain Countrie Ella Guernsey 271 

Palace o' the King, The William Mitchell .... 189 

Patriotism Thomas F. Meagher 313 

Pawnbroker's Shop, The Richard E. White. . . . 281 

Piano Music 156 

Plea for Ireland Phillips.... 282 

Polish Boy, The Mrs. Ann S. Stephens .... 183 

Prophecy, The Mrs. E. V.Wilson. . . . 312 

Prayer and Potatoes Rev. J. T. Pettee .... 231 

Railway Matinee, A R. J. Burdette .... 221 

Regulus to the Roman Senate Epes Sargent 187 

Rescue of Chicago, The H. M. Loak..,. 239 

Revolutionary Rising, The Thomas Buchanan Reade 129 

Rienzi's Address to the Romans Mary Russell Mitford 124 

" Rock of Ages " .... 191 

Rum's Devastation and Destiny William Sullivan 196 

Scene from Lady of the Lake Sir Walter Scott 279 

Shylock's Reply William Shakespeare 108 

Smiting the Rock . ... 237 

Sockery Kadacut's Kat 293 

Soldier Tramp, The Don Santiago Carlino 235 



10 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



South Carolina and Massachusetts Daniel Webster 

South During the Revolution, The Robert Young Hayne 

Spartacus to the Roman Envoys in Etruria Epes Sargent 

Speech in Vindication Robert Emmet 

Stand by the Flag Joseph Holt 

Suppliant, The Richard E. White 

Tact and Talent 

Those Evening Bells Thomas Moore 

Three Cherry Stones, The 

Three Days in the Life of Columbus Casimir Delavigne 

Three Warnings, The Hester Lynch Thrale 

To-Day , Carpenter 

Two Boot-Blacks, The 

When the Cows Come Home 

Which One? 



Tage 
. 180 
. 298 
. 137 
. 245 
. 182 
. 200 

. 152 

. 158 

. 88 

. 174 

. 206 

. 93 

. 48 

. 158 
. 133 



READING AND ELOCUTION. 



GENERAL OUTLINE. 



Elocution is the art of conveying thought, sentiment and 
emotion in the most natural and effective manner. 

Its Purpose. — The complete mastery of its principles en- 
ables the. speaker not only to express his thoughts clearly and 
easily, but to so vivify and illuminate those thoughts that his 
hearers see, hear, and feel the unquestioned truth of his state- 
ments. 

Correct elocutionary training has for its further object the 
complete subordination of the physical being to the service of 
the mind and spirit, thought being the product of the inner 
spiritual man, and speech and gesture its natural outlet through 
the exterior, ox physical man. 

Its Value. — Its study and systematic practice, based upon 
principles of nature, make the voice clear, strong, flexible and 
melodious; and give to the body and limbs a pliancy, vigor 
and harmony of motion that render the position and action of 
the speaker or reader at once graceful, natural and impressive. 

How Acquired. — The greatest excellence in Elocution is 
attained by study, practice, observation and criticism. The 
student should master the principles by study, and at once test 
their application by practice. He should closely observe the 
expression of reputed good readers and speakers — noting the 
points of excellence and deficiency which characterize their 

11 



12 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

delivery; lie should frequently submit his own exercises to the 
criticism of friends and teachers, and make notes of these criti- 
cisms that they may not again be needed. But one thing must 
be kept constantly in mind: No amount of instruction and 
criticism will compensate for a meager drill. The highest ex- 
cellence in reading or speaking requires the same conditions as 
music, painting and poetry — Practice, Practice, Practice. 

REQUIREMENTS OF GOOD ELOCUTION. 

1. A full and free respiration. 

2. A correct pronunciation. 

3. A correct and distinct articulation. 

4. A thorough knowledge and j)erfect control of all the ele- 

ments of vocal expression. 

5. Complete control of every muscle of the face, hands, feet 

and body. 

6. A thorough understanding and appreciation of the thought 

to be expressed. 

7. Perfect self-possession before an audience. 

THE BENEFITS OF ELOCUTION. 

1 . It cultivates the taste and judgment. 

2. It cultivates the entire physical system. 

3. It quickens perception and apjjrehension. 

4. It imparts grace of movement and attitude. 

5. It develops a strong will and self-possession. 

6. It strengthens the conception and imagination. 

V. It strengthens the lungs and respiratory muscles. 

8. It develops vigor of mind and buoyancy of spirit. „ 

9. It gives to the voice purity, power and flexibility. 

10. It protects from bronchial and pulmonary afflictions. 

11. It prepares the student for the successful prosecution of 

business in every phase of life. 



READING AND ELOCUTION 13 

WHO SHOULD STUDY ELOCUTION. 

1. All general students. 

2. Every student of law. 

3. Those preparing for general business. 

4. All who are preparing for the ministry. 

5. The Public Lecturer, Reader or Speaker. 
G. The instructor in whatever art or science. 

7. Persons with defective speech or unpleasant voice. 

8. Persons afflicted with lung and bronchial troubles, huski- 

ness and chronic hoarseness. 

9. All who would move through life with the least possible 

friction and attain the greatest success. 



READING. 



1. Readixg is the most important branch taught in our 
schools. It is the key to nearly all the other subjects with 
which the student and future citizen has to deal. His success 
in mastering the concomitant branches, and, indeed, nearly 
every art and science, depends upon the skill he secures at an 
early age in interpreting, assimilating and retaining the 
thoughts of others, as presented upon the written or printed 
page. 

2. The ability to apprehend the wit, the pun, the hidden 
wisdom beneath the author's words, to grasp the central thought, 
to group the lights and shades which modify or ornament the 
worded picture, with the quickness of intuition, must be all 
acquired in early life. 

3. But to scan the printed page in silence and note in 
mental concepts the author's woven thoughts is not all there is 
of reading; nor can the skill by which the thoughts are grasped 



14 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

be attained alone by silent reading. Months and years must be 
given to the vocal utterances of written sentences, under the 
guidance of the skillful teachers, before the child can adapt the 
written words to his untrained comprehension. Silent and 
audible reading are mutually dependent, the highest excellence 
in either is acquired largely through the practice of the other. 

THE TWO KINDS OF READING. 

All reading may be classed as silent or intellectual, and 
audible or oral. The purpose of the former is the apprehen- 
sion of the thought — of the latter, the expression of the 
thought. As an art, reading includes the interpretation and ex- 
pression of the thought, sentiment and emotion, as presented 
in written or printed composition. 

REQUISITES FOR READING. 

Certain requisites for good reading should be considered, 
and, as far as possible, pupils should be trained in securing 
these in our elementary schools. Some of these are innate, but 
all may be cultivated to such a degree as to make intelligent 
and intelligible readers of ninety-five per cent of all. 

REQUISITES FOR SILENT READING. 

1. A clear conception. 

2. A quick perception. 

3. Human sympathy. 

4. A vivid imagination. 

5. A keen discernment. 

6. An interest in affairs. 

7. Good taste and judgment. 

REQUISITES FOR AUDIBLE READING. 

1 . Imitative power. 

2. Expressive action. 

3. Command of voice. 



READING AND ELOCUTION. 15 

4. Distinct articulation. 

5. Respiratory command. 

6. Correct personal habits. 

V. All required for silent reading. 

THE READER'S POSITION. 

Book in the left hand, thumb and little finger in front, 
first, second and third fingers at the back of the book; the 
elboYv T not touching the side. The book should be held in such 
a manner that a line drawn from the eyes toward the page 
would intersect the plane of the book at right angles. The 
full face of the pupil should be seen by the teacher. The 
weight of the body should be supported, while reading, on both 
feet, the left heel two or three inches in advance of the hollow 
of the right foot. The chest should be elevated and expanded, 
the position erect and easy. 

OUTLINE OF READING WORK. 

1. Give constant attention to pupils' manners, movements, 
attitudes, breathing, tones and speech. 

2. Devote five minutes daily to concert phonic drill, and 
critical pronunciation, reviewing the words placed under pro- 
nunciation. 

3. Require synonyms and derivation of words in each 
lesson, previously marked. 

4. Have all members of the class commit and properly 
recite compositions of acknowledged merit. 

5. Require explanation of historical, biographical, geo- 
graphical, scientific and literary allusions in the text or lessons. 
All such allusions should be previously designated, that the 
pupils may have definite knowledge of what is required. 

G. Require an oral abstract of lessons before the exercise 
of reading is called. These synopses must be in the pupils' own 
and best language. 



16 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

7. To secure the greatest benefit from silent reading, turn 
to some lesson with which pupils are not familiar, permit them 
to sketch it hastily — say two minutes to a page, then collect 
all books and require a written abstract prepared in the shortest 
time possible. The pupils within a specified time exchange 
slates or papers and read each other's composition. 

8. The lesson should be read with such precision and ac- 
curacy as to render the use of a text-book in the hands of the 
teacher unnecessary. 

9. Discuss the style of thought, literary beauty, and 
rhetorical peculiarity of every selection before leaving it. 

10. Require pupils to learn all they can of every author 
whose productions they read. 

11. Do not attempt to complete a long selection in one 
lesson. Few selections in this book can be profitably passed in 
less than three days. 

TESTS OF RESTTLTS. 

The average pupil having fully prepared a reading lesson, 
should read it with such naturalness and impressiveness as to 
inspire hearers with the most pleasurable emotions, and hold 
their attention to the exclusion of everything else. 

RESPIRATION. 

1 . Respiration or breathing is the act of taking air into 
the lungs and expelling it from them. 

2. As an art, respiration involves three processes whose 
mastery by the student is of paramount importance: Inspira- 
tion, Expiration and Management. 

3. Few persons realize how great is the influence of res- 
piration upon the growing life of a human being. Notwith- 
standing the teachings of our text-books and the warnings of 
popular writers and lecturers, many parents and even teachers re- 
main indifferent to the pernicious habits of breathing acquired 
by children during school life. 



READING AND ELOCUTION. 17 

4. Vigor of mind and body is dependent so largely upon 
, a copious supply of pure air inhaled with reference to time and 
manner, that no system of education can be successfully carried 
out unless provision is made for the most complete respiration 
of the lungs. 

5. It is a fact well established in pathology that 
functional derangements originating in colds, attack the weak- 
est organs of the body. The properly trained singer and 
speaker are rarely hoarse. Exemption from lung and throat 
troubles among professional orators and singers is due to the 
skillful use of every organ involved in respiration, speech, and 
song. The public speaker or singer who excuses his perform- 
ance by confessing hoarseness thereby acknowledges his igno- 
rance and violation of one of nature's simplest laws. 

6. If the teacher or student be disposed to ignore the 
hygienic value of correct breathing, he is reminded that the 
highest form of human utterance, whether aspirated or vocalized 
in speech, or intonated in measured harmony, is based upon the 
most intelligent command and use of the respiratory apparatus. 
The stuttering, gasping, incoherent, flighty, jerky or impetu- 
ous speech, one sometimes hears from a novice in the art of 
public speaking or singing, is not traceable alone to inexperience, 
but, in most cases, to nervous embarrassment caused by imper- 
fect respiration. 

1. It may be further stated that a larger part of the train- 
ing course prescribed for orators and singers in professional 
schools is devoted to securing command over the breath in 
speech and song; and that the heart-reaching, soul-stirring 
rendition of those sublime passages which have in ages past 
mov r ed the stoic to action and the sage to tears, can be re- 
produced only, after all other conditions are present, by that 
perfect adaptation of breath to the molding of words that live, 
and burn, and glow — melting the heart to tears, filling the ear 
with rapture, and illuminating the soul with celestial light, 



18 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

until the very air seems filled with seraphic melodies of intelli- 
gences divine. 

8. Every muscle of the waist, chest, ribs, axilla, back and 
loins, must be brought into action, and trained by intelligent 
and persistent practice to perform its function. It will take 
several months — even years, with older students, to accustom 
all the muscles to act automatically and effectively. The mind 
must superintend the effort — must constantly realize the impor- 
tance of the exercise. The expense of time and attention will 
pay. It will pay in an increased brilliancy of intellect, happi- 
ness of temper, and buoyancy of spirit. It is the deep, full, 
vigorous breathers that possess the most vigorous hearts, minds 
and bodies. 

METHODS OF BREATHING. 

While the ordinary methods of breathing are sufficient for 
the individual of vigorous outdoor pursuits, they are not 
sufficient for the scholar and man of thought engaged in 
sedentary pursuits. With these the stimulus generated by 
bodily action is wanting to induce the deep inspirations peculiar 
to the active man of outdoor life. The thinker within his 
closet, the artist at his easel, the artisan at his table, and the 
pupil at his desk, require a constant reinforcement of mental 
energy. Much more than any of these does the orator demand 
the recuperative agency of a perfect respiration. This require- 
ment can be filled only by the inhalation of an abundance of the 
vitalizing oxygen contained in pure air; and art must be called 
in to properly supply and distribute the regenerative fluid. 

MOUTH VERSUS NOSTRIL BREATHING. 

The following considerations will suggest the propriety of 
always inhaling through the nostrils: 

1. The small circuitous passages, with many obstructions, 
through which inhaled air must pass before reaching the delicate 



READING AND ELOCUTION. 19 

lung cells, temper it to the normal heat of the body. Air swal- 
lowsd at the zero temperature enters the lungs many degrees 
colder than the body, and scarcely fails to produce serious in- 
flammation. 

2. The speaker or singer who incautiously swallows air 
during the exercise of his voice will soon discover a dryness in 
the mouth, larynx and trachea which will render the tone harsh, 
hard and husky — annoying to himself and unpleasant to his 
auditors. The continued moisture of these organs is an essen- 
tial condition of purity of tone. 

3. The continuous swallowing of air during vigorous 
speech parches the throat and inflames the membranes and liga- 
ments of the voice and speech organs. If the practice is re- 
peated for a few days in succession it results in what is styled 
" clergyman's sore throat ." 

4. The air at all times is filled with myriads of motes, 
whose introduction into the delicate lung tissues produces un- 
pleasant irritation. Added to these, science has demonstrated 
that under certain atmospheric conditions, countless germs of 
disease are floating in the air. These the mouth-breather re- 
ceives at once to be carried to the lungs and these impart their 
poison to the blood. The nasal cilia and sieve-like processes 
which line the nasal cavities arrest the ingress of these .life de- 
stroying agents. 

5. To the above may be added the fact that the constant 
practice of breathing through the nostrils tends to enlarge the 
nasal passages. This enlargement assists the articulation and 
adds purity and melody to the tones of the voice. 

RESPIRATORY EXERCISES FOR PRACTICE. 

1. Abdominal Breathing. — Stand passively erect, hands 
and arms hanging loosely at the sides, weight supported equally 
on both limbs. Close the lips and inhale quietly and slowly 
through the nostrils, filling the region about the waist until your 



20 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

capacity is reached. Quietly exhale through the mouth or nos- 
trils as long as possible. Repeat five times. 

2. Chest Breathing. — Repeat the above exercise with the 
hands clasped behind the head. 

Note.— If dizziness ensue,- discontinue for a few minutes. After a few weeks this 
difficulty will not return. 

Caution.— Do not catch the breath suddenly through the mouth while exercising. 
During the earlier exercises draw the air through the nostrils very slowly. Permit no 
air to enter the mouth at any time. "God breathed the breath of life into man's nos- 
trils," not into his mouth. 

3. Abdominal and Chest Combined. - Fill the region 
about the waist as in No. 1, then without exhaling, gradually 
force the enlargement upward until the chest reaches its full ex- 
pansion. Repeat jive times. Reverse the process. 

4. Effusive Exhalation. — Inhale as in No. 1. Exhale in 
the least audible whisper the sound of il ah" prolonged for 
thirty seconds. Continue this exercise daily until the sound can 
be prolonged fifty seconds. 

Vocalize "ah" effusively. 

Inhale as in No. 1. Exhale evenly and in a pure tone the 
sound of long "e" prolonged for ten seconds. Continue this 
daily until a clear, musical sound can be continuously produced 
for thirty seconds. 

Note.— The longer a speaker can hold his breath the more effective will be his de- 
livery of those long and involved sentences whose full force and meaning seems to de- 
pend upon an uninterrupted effusion of melodious sound. 

5. Expulsive Exhalation. — Inhale as before. Expel the 
air in the whispered sound of " h " by a vigorous upward and 
inward action of the abdominal muscles. Inhale again, and re- 
peat this exercise ten times without taking breath. 

Inhale; count clearly and distinctly in one breath to forty, 
to fifty, to sixty. 

Inhale; repeat the letters of the alphabet distinctly in a 
single breath five times, six times. 






READING AND ELOCUTION. 21 

6. Explosive Exhalation. — Inhale fully, then expel the 
air in an explosive whispered utterance of the syllable "huh.' 1 '' 
The effort must be sudden and exhaust the breath as nearly as 
possible. 

Inhale; vocalize with the utmost explosiveness the syllable 
"huh." 

Inhale; laugh explosively in one breath the syllables ha, ha, 
ha, repeating as many times as possible. When done, shut the 
mouth instantly and inhale slowly through the nostrils. 

7. Active Chest. — Inhale abdominally; force the enlarge- 
ment upward, as in No. 3. This is the active chest. It gives the 
elastic step an energy of speech and action which distin- 
guishes the vigor of eloquence from the languor of indifference. 

MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES IN RESPIRATION. 

1. Repeat expulsively in clear tones, in rapid succession, 
the vowels a, e, I, o, u, as many times as you can. In addi- 
tion to the respiratory benefit accruing from the exercises it 
gives command of the radical stress, an accomplishment of 
great importance to the speaker. 

2. Inhale deeply; count in distinct tones to thirty, forty, 
fifty. Stop the moment the least aspiration is observed. 

3. Take a full breath; repeat distinctly the letters of 
the alphabet as many times in one breath as possible. 

4. Read in one breath the first x paragraph of "The Two 
Boot-blacks," page 48. Afterward read in one breath first 
and second paragraphs. Every word must be intelligibly 
uttered. 

5. Before any public performance, when convenient, go 
to an open window and with hands placed on window frame 
inhale and exhale vigorously a dozen or more times. The ex- 
ercise imparts a healthful stimulation, allays excitement, and 
gives to the speaker a wonderful reserve force and self-pos- 
session. 



22 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

6. To more thoroughly aerate the lungs, exhale all the air 
you can and then with the heels of the hands press, by a work- 
ing motion, the chest, ribs, and sides, under the arm-pits until 
all the air seems to be driven out. Close the lips and inhale 
deeply, evenly and slowly. 

NOTES. 

1. Under no circumstances should the act of breathing 
be permitted to interfere with vocalization. By proper training 
and exercise, inhalation can be so managed as rarely to be 
noticed. 

2. In the act of inhalation through the nostrils, avoid the 
unbecoming habit of sniffing so noisily as to attract attention. 
True art conceals art. 

3. Acquire the habit of inhaling slowly. The acquisition 
of this power brings with it, to a great degree, the control of the 
breath. 

4. While inhalation is to be effected mainly through the 
nostrils and imperceptibly, it is understood the acts of sighing, 
gasping, coughing, sneezing, loud laughter, sobbing, and pant- 
ing, sometimes accompanying dramatic action, are exceptions. 

5. ~No breath should be wasted. Use only so much as 
may be necessary to form the word. Too little renders the 
sound inaudible, too much exhausts the speaker and mars the 
beauty of utterance. 

6. All breath employed in speaking, except in the aspirate 
quality, should be vocalized. 

7. Do not wait until the lungs are exhausted to take 
breath. The practice is injurious. Take breath as often as op- 
portunity will permit. 

8. To secure the greatest benefits from respiratory exer- 
cises all artificial pressure must be removed from the throat, 
neck, chest and waist. 



GESTURE. 



GESTURE. 



Gesture includes all positions and motions of the head, 
face and limbs, employed to enforce or illustrate an idea, emo- 
tion, or passion. 

Its Importance. — Gesture is the visible language of the 
inner life. It portrays to the eye the workings of the mind, the 
affections of the heart, and the varying passions and emotions 
of the soul. It is as intelligible to the savage as to the most en- 
lightened. Entire plays are presented in pantomime and are 
understood by observers as well as by the players themselves. 
It gives to the eye what the ear often fails to receive, and thus 
attracts and holds the attention much more effectually than do 
words alone. 

He who would successfully appeal to all the senses of his 
audience — hold the eye, the heart, the soul; summon the ap- 
proving smile, the sympathetic tear, the rapturous applause; 
sway the multitudes, lull them into complacency, or move them 
to immediate action — must cultivate and skillfully employ this 
universal language of nature. 

Kinds of Gesture. — All gestures may be classed as Em- 
phatic, Illustrative, and Locative. 

Emphatic Gesture intensifies assertions by the application 
of greater force to emphatic words; as, "I will force him to 
the deed." 

Illustrative Gesture shows the manner, means, degree, 
appearance, or effect; as, "Ye Gods, withhold your wrath." 

Locative Gesture designates the position, direction, or 
place; as, " Look not in thepast for hope." 

Requisites of Gesture.— The requisites of gesture are 
Grace, Variety, Simplicity, Boldness, Energy, Precision and 



24 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Propriety. These must be in harmony with the accompanying 
oral expression. 

Initial Movements. — The entrance or first appearance of 
the speaker before his audience is a critical moment. Impres- 
sions are then made which often affect his entire subsequent 
performance. 

The Walk. — The walk is the mirror of character. Through 
it the artist reads the very thoughts the performer would con- 
ceal; and though we can change our walk only as we change the 
temperament that walk portrays, we can by practice secure a 
style of motion that will occasion no unfavorable comment. 

Directions. — Stand erect; summon the most animated 
thoughts; assume active chest (described under Respiration); 
imagine yourself drawn forward by a force acting about the 
waist/ preserve a perfect poise, the head well balanced, the chin 
neither projected nor retracted. 

Lift the thigh forward, the lower leg and foot hanging 
loosely, and straighten the knee, as the foot is planted, as nearly 
flat as the high heel will permit. Follow with the other limb 
in 'the same manner, observing that the chest is full, the unseen 
power acts at the waist and the knee straightens as the foot 
strikes the floor. 

The Boav. — Standing in the first position (see Positions), 
after a momentary look into the eyes of the audience, bring the 
right foot back so as to assume second position, bend the body 
and head slightly and directly forward. In the retiring bow, as 
the body bends forward bring the right toe to the heel of the 
left foot, the right knee bent and pressed firmly against the back 
of left knee. Step to the left with the left foot and retire. 

Attitudes. — The disposition of the entire figure, when at 
rest is important, and should receive careful attention. Every 
posture assumed by the speaker is significant. These should be 
easy, graceful and flexible, but, above all, they must be in har- 
mony with the prevailing sentiment. 



GESTURE. 25 

Head, Body, Hands and Feet — Stand erect, chest full, 
head evenly poised, the arms hanging easily at the sides, or one 
arm at the waist; weight at first supported mainly on both feet, 
one of which should be a little in advance of the other. Keep 
knees well stiffened, and be prepared to make changes naturally 
and gracefully. 

THE FOUR POSITIONS. 

I. Unemotional — First Position. — Support the weight of 
the body mainly on the left foot. Advance the right foot ob- 
liquely at an angle of eighty degrees, and in such a position 
that the right heel is from tioo to four inches in front of the hol- 
low of the left foot. 

Second Position. — Support the weight of the body mainly 
on the right foot. Advance the left foot obliquely at an angle 
of eighty degrees, and in such a position that the left heel is 
from two to four inches in front of the hollow of the right 
foot. 

II. Emotional — Third Position. — From either the first 
or second position move the right foot obliquely forward a short 
stej), the feet remaining at the same angle. Support the body 
on the right foot and turn the left so that the feet form an ob- 
tuse angle; raise the left heel slightly, and balance the body, 
which is thrown a little forward, with the inside ball of the left 
foot. 

Fourth Position. — From either the first or second position 
move the left foot obliquely forward a short step, the feet re- 
maining at the same angle. Support the body on the left foot and 
turn the right so that the feet form an obtuse angle; raise the 
right heel slightly and balance the body, which is thrown a little 
forward, with the inside ball of the right foot. 

Changes of Position. — In the delivery of unemotional 
thought there should be few changes, and all movements should 
be performed within a limited space. In the expression of 



26 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

emotional thought and heated passion, changes of position, and 
greater freedom of movement are permissible; yet even here, the 
speaker must confine himself within the bounds of propriety. 
The impetuous, headlong, and boisterous plunges up and down 
the platform suggest not strength and vigorous emotion under 
the control of a powerful reserve force, but weakness, an insta- 
bility. Never move until the occasion impels you to do so, and 
you will not go far astray. 

Position of the Head. — The head is presumed to guide 
the motions of the body, and should be so held as to command 
the respect of an audience. Its various positions foreshadow 
the thought before it is expressed. An erect position of the head 
suggests confidence, dignity and honor; thrown back, humor, 
pride or vanity; inclined forward, humility and grief; inclined 
aside, languor; while a tossing motion implies contempt and 
anger. 

POSITION OF THE HANDS. 

1. The various positions assumed by the hands are highly 
significant, and should be thoughtfully studied. 

2. In repose the hands should be a model of grace; the 
forefinger should be gently extended, the thumb extended and 
nearly parallel with the first finger, the second finger slightly 
curved, the third finger curved more than the second, and the 
fourth, or little finger, forming a semi-circle. Study the at- 
titudes of statuary and adapt your positions to those models 
that are regarded as specimens of the highest art. 

3. The hand is said to be supine when open, fingers re- 
laxed and palm upward, indicating entreaty, appeal, light joy- 
ous emotions and general description. 

4. It is prone when open, fingers extended and palm 
downward; used in denial, degradation^ and concealment. 

5. It is vertical when open, fingers extended and palm 
outward; used in repelling, disgust, abhorrence, warding o^f'and 
defining a limit. 



GESTURE. 27 

6. It is clenched when tightly closed; used in anger, defi- 
ance and threatening 

7. It is pointing when loosely closed, forefinger and 
thumb uppermost and extended; used in pointing and designa- 
ting. 

8. It is clasped, applied, folded, crossed, enumerating, 
touching, when used in description and designation. 

DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT. 

Before attempting "any of the following exercises in gesture 
with the hands, the pupil should become familiar with the 
various terms used in indicating direction and the significance 
of such direction. 

1. Front. — Indicating personality, directness, futurity, 
unity. Gestures made directly before the body are termed 
-front/' 

2. Extended. — Indicating vastness in space, tune, quan- 
tity or idea. Gestures made direct from the speaker's side are 
termed ' ' extended. " 

3. Oblique. — Indicating a general idea or assertion, in- 
definitenes ■--. Gestures made between the ''front" and ••ex- 
tended'' are called " oblique." 

4. Backward. — Expressiveof remoteness of time or space. 
Gestures back of the extended are called "backward." 

5. Descending. — Expressing determination or empjhasis. 
Gestures made below the horizontal line of the chest are called 
" descending." 

6. Horizontal. — Pertaining to the intellect. Gestures 
made by extending the hand and arm in a line horizontal to the 
chest (whether front, oblique; or the side or backward) are 
called '-horizontal." 

7. Ascending. — Alluding to the ideal or imagination. 
Gestures made above the horizontal are termed •• ascending. " 



28 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

8. Ictus of Gesture. — The ictus of gesture is applied 
to the accented syllable of the word with which it is used. 

Both Hands,- — are often used, making the same motions, 
to give greater breadth of thought, broader exj)anse, and more 
intensity of motion. 

Arm Motions. — To secure facility and grace of gesture, a 
short preliminary exercise, employing both arms simultaneous- 
ly, is of great advantage. Every exercise in gesture should be 
preceded by several whole- arm movement combinations, the 
nature of which will be suggested after the following de- 
scription of an exercise the author has used most advantageously 
with students: 

DIRECTIONS FOR ARM MOVEMENT. 

Take the first position, Active chest. Let the arms and 
hands hang naturally, the little fingers just touching the sides. 
Raise both the arms, bringing the hands toward each other in 
front, near the body and slightly turning them so that the fore- 
fingers just touch by the time the hands meet at the waist; 
continue raising the hands, fingers relaxed and slightly curved, 
palms gradually turning inward, until the chin is reached, when 
the fingers gradually extend. From this point the hands sepa- 
rate, the whole arms sweep through a graceful curve downward 
and downward through the horizontal, oblique and extended 
directions; the palms at first upward, gradually turn inward, 
then downward, when the arms curve and the hands are brought 
again together at the waist, as when raised from the sides in the 
initial motion. This movement is to be repeated many times 
until familiar, after which others can be developed from it, 
which will be of great service in imparting ease and grace to 
gesture. 

MODE OF GESTURE. 

1. The grace of gesture is expressed in the compound 
curve, sometimes called "Hogarth's line of beauty." The 



GESTURE. 29 

motion of the arm originates in the shoulder, is then trans- 
mitted to the arm, and forearm, whence the hand and the fingers 
receive the impulse and both gradually curving as the arm is 
raised until the chest (on the side opposite the arm employed) is 
reached, when the arm, hands and fingers unbend and reach 
their full extension at the ictus. 

2. The curve of arm gesture, expressive of pleasing, 
tranquil and serious thought, and employed in narration, de- 
scription and argument, is beautifully illustrated in the varied 
motions that may be described with a flexible willow-twig. 

3. The direction of motion in the gesture of violent pas- 
sion and uncontrollable excitement, whether occasioned by 
anger, fright or joy, is best illustrated in the angular flash of the 
falling thunderbolt. 

4. From these illustrations the learner will readily infer 
the character of gesture required when he has determined the 
sentiment contained in the composition. 

EXERCISES IX PHYSICAL EXPRESSION. 

With Head and Face Indicate: 

Attention: Lean the head forward with fixed gaze. 

Assent: Nod rapidly forward. 

Dissent: Toss the head backward and sway from side to 
side. 

Diffidence or Languor: Incline the head to either side. 

Horror: Avert the face to either side. 

Courage'. Hold the head erect. 

Shame, Humility or Grief: Drop the head forward. 

Pride, Arrogance: Throw the head back. 

Avoid all useless nodding, shaking and tossing of the head. 

With the Arms Indicate: 

Calm Repose'. Let the arms hang naturally and gracefully 
Weakness : Let the arms hang listlessly. 



30 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Self -Importance : Fold the arms across the chest. 
Entreaty : Hold the arms and hands forward, palms supine. 
Invocation: Raise the arms forward, hands supine. 
Terror: Throw the arms backward, elbows bent. 
Avoid every arm movement not in harmony with the senti- 
ment you are expressing. 

With the Hands Indicate: 

Secrecy or Silence: Place the forefinger on the lips. 

Shame or Sorrow ; Place the hands upon the eyes. 

Joy or Pleasure : Clasp the hands on left breast. • 

Anguish: Wring the hands, moving upward and down- 
ward. 

Appeal to Conscience: Place the right hand over the heart. 

Threatening : Clinch and shake the hand. 

Mental Pain or Distress: Place the open hand on the 
head. 

Meekness: Cross the hands on the breast. 

Triumph: Wave the right hand over the head. 

Invitation: Extend the hands supine toward the object. 

Avoid unnecessary motions of the hands at variance with 
prevailing sentiment. 

By Various Attitudes of the Body Indicate: 

Repose, Courage, Joy : Hold the body flexibly erect. 

Pride, Haughtiness: Throw the shoulders stiffly back. 

Humility or Compassion: Stoop slightly forward. 

Peverence, Adoration: Bend the body well forward. 

Indignation: Straighten to full height. 

Aversion: Withdraw from the object to either side. 

Horror: Shrink inwardly from the cause. 

Avoid all unnecessary contortions of the body and shrug- 
ging of the shoulders, as well as that unpliable rigidity one sees 
in the awkward orator. 



GESTURE. 31 

By Means of the Lower Limbs Indicate: 

Confidence, Self- Possession: Stand flexibly erect on both 
feet. 

Self- Conceit, Obstinacy : Stand rigidly erect on both feet. 

Timidity, Awkwardness: First or second position, advanced 
knee bent more than rear knee. 

Physical Weakness : Feet parallel and a foot or more apart, 
knees bent. 

Terror, Horror: Let the entire limbs tremble. 

Earnest Appeal: Take third or fourth position. 

Disgust: Assume third or fourth position, then throw 
weight on rear foot. 

Pomposity : Feet well apart, weight on both feet. 

Avoid the frequent shifting of weight from one limb to the 
other. Such actions betray awkwardness and mental disturb- 
ance. 

EXERCISES IN GESTURE. 

Explanations of Abbreviations : 

( D. F. Descending Front. ( D. E. Descending Extended. 

j H. F. Horizontal Front. ] H. E. Horizontal Extended. 

( A. F. Ascending Front. ( A. E. Ascending Extended. 

( D. 0. Descending Oblique. ( D. B. Descending Backward, 

•j H. O. Horizontal Oblique. \ H. B. Horizontal Backward. 

( A. O. Ascending Oblique. ( A. B. Ascending Backward. 

Note.— The ictus is applied to the italicized words. 
I. RIGHT HAND SUPINE. 

D. F. Upon this action I insist. 

H. F. I freely grant all that you demand. 

A. F. I appeal to the great Searcher of hearts. 

D. O. Of all mistakes none are so fatal as these. 

H. O. Truth, honor, justice were his motives. 

A. 0. Fix your eyes on the prize above this life. 

I). E. Away with your tempting bribes. 



32 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

H. E. The gentle breezes wafted incense on the air. 

A. E. Hail flag of the free! Sweet emblem of hope. 

D. B. Let ns put such schemes behind us. 

H. B. Search the records of the remotest an-ta'-quity. 

A. B. Then rang the shout of freedom. 

II. RIGHT HAND PRONE. 

D. F. Put down the unworthy feeling. 

H. F. Re-s^*«m the unhallowed propensity. 

D. O. Let every one repress such sentiments. 

H. O. I charge you to ve-strai?i such dispositions! 

A. O. Ye god's with-hold your vengeance! 

D. E. He'll smooth the turf for your last pillow. 

H. E. Adversity dimmed his brightest ^ros-pects. 

A. E. So darkly glooms yon thunder cloud. 

III. RIGHT HAND VERTICAL. 

H. F. £ack to thy punishment, false fugitive! 

A. F. For-bid it, Almighty God ! 

H. O. A friend would ward off the blow. 

A. O. Oh ior-bid it, Heavens! 

H. E. Out of my sight, thou base defamer! 

H. B. False wizard, avant! 

IV. BOTH HANDS SUPINE. 

D. F. All resentment he de-^os-ited on the altar. 

H. F. Listen, I im-plore you, to his cry for mercy. 

A. F. Hail! universal Lord! 

D. O. All these he sur-rm-dered to the common good. 

H.'O. Welcome! friends, to our peaceful shore. 

A. O. Sail! holy Light! 

D. E. I utterly re-nounce his proffered aid. 

H. E. He delves in the wide a-bgss of possibility. 

A. E. Freedom to the race! 



GESTURE. 33 

T. BOTH HANDS PRONE. 

D. F. Lie Ught-lj on him, earth. 

H. F. May the blessings of Heaven rest on thee. 

A. F. Blessed be Thy ?ia?7ie, O Lord Most High! 

D. O. We are as but worms of the dust! 

H. O. Deep stillness fell on all around, 

A O. The Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast. 

D. E. Here let the tumults of passion cease. 

H. E. Spread wide around the heavenly calm. 

A. E. Sorrow mantles the whole earth. 

VI. BOTH HANDS VERTICAL. 

H. F. Hence! horrible shadow! 

A. F. Avert, O God, the terrible calamity. 

H. O. Burst are the prison bars. 

A. O. Angels and Ministers of Grace, de-fend us. 

H. E. Night's gathering fears, dis-perse ! 

A. E. Melt and dis-/>e£ye specter doubts. 

FACIAL EXPRESSION. 

Facial Expression is the adaptation of the countenance to 
the sentiment to be expressed. 

1. Of the face Quintilian has said: "The face is the 
dominant power of expression. With this we supplicate; with 
this we threaten; with this we soothe; with this we mourn; 
with this we rejoice; with this we triumph; with this we make 
our submissions; upon this the audience hang; upon this they 
keep their eyes fixed; this they examine and study even before 
a word is spoken." 

2. The effect of the vocal delivery is so much heightened 
by a sympathetic expression of the face, that the student of 
elocution, whether preparing for the rostrum, bar, or pulpit, 
should on no account neglect this important aid to his delivery. 



34 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. While much preliminary training in this department 
of expression is necessary, in its application the student must 
first feel the sentiment to be uttered, then the appropriate facial 
expression will follow. Beware of useless facial contortions; 
they are not only inappropriate, they are disfiguring and 
repulsive. 

EXPRESSION OF THE EYES. 

1. The eye is the most expressive of all the features. It 
is here the mysterious workings of the mind are imaged forth 
in unmistakable language before the tongue moves in obedience 
to the will. 

2. From it the soul looks forth and communes with kin- 
dred spirits. The expectant child reads in its mother's eye the 
answer to its wish. The stricken heart, unable to bear its 
burden, sends forth its mute appeals for human sympathy 
through eyes that tell the inward sorrow. 

3. But while philosophers and poets have combined in 
praise of the wondrous beauty, variety, and expressiveness of 
the eye, to the orator, it has peculiar interest which he cannot 
ignore. It is not simply a means of expression, but to the 
speaker it is an instrument of control second to no other agency 
of oratorical power. The speaker who looks directly into the 
eyes of his audience holds them beyond their power of escape. 
Every person present feels the magnetic influence of the speaker 
and fancies himself the particular person addressed. 

4. The failure to use this wonderful power explains why 
so many desultory speakers and manuscript readers do not 
secure attention and move their audiences to thought and action. 
If you must use a manuscript, acquire the habit of looking 
away from it at times and into the ey?s of your hearers. 



GESTURE. 35 

EXERCISES IN FACIAL EXPRESSION. 

By Means of the Eyes Indicate: 

Courage, Determination: Look straight forward. 

Joy, Hope, Delight: Raise the eyes slightly upward. 

Shame, Modesty, Humility: Look downward. 

Disgust, Aversion : Turn the eyes to either side. 

Madness : A steady glare, seeing nothing. 

Sudden Anger: Let the eyes flash. 

Consternation : Open the eyes wide with a fixed stare. 

Mage: Roll the eyes well open. 

Despair: A vacant stare. 

Avoid meaningless winkings and any unnatural use of the 
eyes. 

By Means of the Brow Indicate: 

Joy, Terror, Amazement: Elevate the brows. 

Fear, Despair, Grief: Depress the brows. 

Anger, Rage: Knit the brows firmly. 

Tranquil Repose: Let the brows be natural. 

Avoid the frequent elevation of the brows when not in- 
dicated by the sentiment. 

With the Mouth Indicate: 

Tranquillity : Close the lips lightly. 

Joy, Delight: Let the lips be drawn back and slightly 
raised. 

Scorn, Contempt: Curl the lips slightly upward. 

Disgust : Curl the lips downward. 

Firmness, Decision : Compress the lips. 

Weakness, Indecision ; Relax the lips. 

Wonder, Desire: Part the lips slightly. 

Silliness, Imbecility: Open the lips languidly, tongue 
protruding. 

Approval, Pleasure: Let the lips smile freely. 



86 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

On account of the softness of the parts about the mouth no 
feature is so liable to assume the deformities of bad habits as 
the lips. Avoid all unbecoming contortions, as sneering, pout- 
ing, twitching, and protrusion of the lips. Avoid evil indul- 
gences in thought, word, and deed. All these leave their traces 
upon the mobile lips, and mar alike the features and delivery. 

With the Nostrils Indicate: 

Courage, Anger : Expand the nostrils freely. 
Surprise, Admiration : Open the nostrils moderately. 
Disgust, Contempt: Draw the nostrils upward. 
Fear, Terror, Horror : Let the nostrils dilate and quiver. 
Pain ; Contract the nostrils. 

GENERAL HINTS UPON GESTURE. 

1. "Suit the action to the word, and the w^ord to the 
action; with this special observance— that you o'erstep not the 
modesty of Nature." 

2. Be definite and decided in your action. Decision of 
gesture is more important than grace ; combine the two. 

3. In shifting from one foot to the other avoid dropping 
one hip or shoulder. 

4. Though appropriate gesture is pleasing to the eye and 
greatly assists the hearer in comprehending the thought, the 
pupil is reminded that too little gesture is better than a continu- 
ous or even frequent sawing of the air. 

5. During the action of gesture the arm should be kept 
moving all the time — rarely stationary for a single instant. 

6. When reading, attempt no gesture unless you can look 
from your book and preclude the gesture with your eyes. 

7. The ictus of the gesture should be on the emphatic 
word, and the hand performing the gesture should return to the 
side or proceed with another gesture. 



GESTURE. 3 7 

8. Keep your face either full or three quarters full toward 
your audience, unless personation should require it otherwise. 

9. In personating two characters have one speak to the 
right, the other to the left. Explanations require a full face to 
the audience. 

10. Use curved lines in gesture in all cases except those 
portraying sudden and impressioned Emotions. 

11. As a general rule in single gesture, use the right arm, 
with the right foot advanced in preference to the left. The left, 
however, is often conveniently used in the mimicry of awkward 
characters. 

12. Do not permit the love of dress display to mar the 
effect of your delivery by making you ridiculous. Taste in dress 
is little less important than appropriate language and delivery. 

13. Let your changes in gesture accord with the language. 
The more rapid the thought and violent the emotion, the more 
sudden the transitions. Calm, dignified and reflective thought 
requires slow, measured, graceful changes. 

14. When the change of thought requires a change of 
position, make such change while speaking, not before nor 
after; that is, move as you enter upon the new thought. 

15. Gesture should not accompany the description of the 
act, but the act itself ; as "But Douglas round him drew his 
cloak," etc., receives no gesture; wait till the words accompany- 
ing the action are spoken. 

16. Observe the attitudes and gestures of great orators. 



38 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



PRONUNCIATION. 



Pronunciation from pro, forth, and nuncio, I announce, 
is the act of vocal and articulate utterance of words according to 
prevailing usage. 

1. The pronunciation of the English language is not uni- 
form in time or place. The usage of the nineteenth century is 
not that of the last century. The general style of the bustling 
metropolis differs from the leisurely uttered words of the field 
and hamlet. So, too, the followers of certain occupations man- 
ifest their calling by peculiarities of accent and enunciation. 
The stress and tones of the seafaring man vary in a marked 
degree from those of the camp and court. Again, the usage of 
the mountains is not that of the plains and valleys; and the con- 
trast between the articulation and accent one hears on the coast 
and in the interior is equally marked. 

2. Changes in pronunciation, due to changes in manner of 
living, social and political conditions, advance of commerce and 
caprice of fashion are constantly going on — in some sections 
more rapidly than in others. While some communities, in- 
fluenced by the busy activities around them, accept almost every 
new style of utterance, others, more isolated, and, therefore, 
more tenacious of early acquirements, resist all innovations, and 
cling to those familiar sounds to which they have been accus- 
tomed. Thus differences in pronunciation originate and con- 
tinue in the same country. 

3. Notwithstanding these differences in local usage there 
is a standard of pronunciation to which the critical scholars of 
all sections conform. Among literary people of the United 
States this standard is recognized in the latest editions of Web- 
ster's, Worcester's and the Century dictionaries. 



PRONUNCIATION. 39 

4. The ''Principles of Pronunciation" contained in these 
works should be carefully studied by all who aspire to accuracy 
in spoken English. A mispronounced word or even an unusual 
authorized pronunciation coming from the pulpit, stage or ros- 
trum, distracts the hearer's attention, mars the beauty of diction 
and compromises the speaker's culture in the estimation of his 
audience even more than the absence of an eloquent delivery. 

5. Pronunciation comprises articulation, syllabication, and 
accent. A skillful articulation is acquired by first securing the 
correct sounds of the vocal elements, and then by persistent 
practice, making them so familiar to the tongue and ear that 
every combination, however difficult, can be sounded instantly 
and correctly. 

ARTICULATION. 

Articulation is the process of forming and combining the 
elementary sounds of language. 

1. The importance of this subject entitles it to rank second 
only to respiration as a requisite to the greatest excellence in the 
art of elocution. Without this element, cultivated to the high- 
est perfection, all other elements of vocal culture fail to form 
the accomplished reader and speaker. 

2. Not by the English speaking orator alone, is articula- 
tion deemed of great importance. French and German teachers 
and statesmen give much attention to the subject. Says Legouve: 

"Articulation and articulation alone, gives clearness, en- 
ergy, passion and force. Such is its power that it can even 
overcome deficiency of voice in the presence of a large audience. 
There have been actors of the foremost rank who had scarcely 
any voice. Potier had no voice. Monvel, the famous Monvel, 
not only had no voice, he had no teeth! and yet no one ever lost 
a word that fell from his lips; and never was there a more de- 
lightful, more moving artist than he, thanks to his perfect artic- 
ulation." 



40 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. That articulation shall secure the greatest benefit to the 
speaker two conditions must be observed : 

First. It must be correct. 
Second. It must be distinct. 

4. The first of these implies that the student shall acquaint 
himself with the powers and applications of all the elementary 
constituents of the language, in order that he may know the ex- 
act element required for each oral combination. The second 
condition demands that he shall so completely master the vocal 
utterance of every element that no mistake can possibly arise as 
to what particular sound is uttered. 

5. Correctness of articulation is acquired by frequent 
reference to standard dictionaries supplemented by immediate 
and intelligent practice. Here it should be observed that a dis- 
tinct articulation without being correct is like legible writing 
containing many misspelled words; while it is easily heard the 
literary deficiencies of the speaker are made only more ap- 
parent. 

6. Distinctness of articulation is secured, first, by frequent 
practice upon the exercises prepared for drill, and afterward by 
constant attention to every word and sentence uttered, until the 
habit of correct and decided articulation is fixed beyond the 
necessity of attention. Faulty articulation often arises from an 
inability to control the speech organs. The remedy is daily 
practice upon the elementary sounds and syllables. 

7. As to what constitutes a "just articulation," nothing- 
better can be said than the oft-quoted words of Austin: 

"The words are not hurried over, nor precipitated syllable 
over syllable; nor, as it were, melted together into a mass of 
confusion; they are neither abridged nor prolonged; nor 
swallowed, nor forced, and, if I may so express myself, shot 
from the mouth; they are not trailed nor drawled, nor let slip 
out carelessly, so as to drop unfinished. They are delivered 
out from the lips as beautiful coins, newly issued from the mint, 



PRONUNCIATION. 41 

deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly finished , neatly struck 
by the proper organs, distinct, sharp, in due succession, and of 
due weight." 

8. As the impassioned style of oratory peculiar to the old 
Greeks and Romans is giving way to the more intellectual and 
argumentative form of delivery, teachers of the present are 
giving more attention to ease and precision of speech than did 
their predecessors. Upon this point, Professor Russell says: 

* ' The appropriate style of modern eloquence is that of in- 
tellectual, more than of impassioned expression; and enun- 
ciation being of all the functions of the voice, that which is most 
important to the conveyance of thought and meaning, it justly 
requires, in the course of education, more attention and practice 
than any other branch of elocution. " 

THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 

An elementary sound is a simple vocal element uttered by 
a single impulse of the voice and speech organs. 

1. The English Language contains forty-five elementary 
sounds classified as follows: twenty Vocals, or Tonics, sixteen 
/Subvocals, or Subtonics and ten Aspirates, or Atonies. 

2. Vocals, or Tonics, consist of pure tone modified by the 
speech organs; as, a, e, oi. 

3. Subvocals, or Subtonics, consist of tone and breath 
combined, modified by the speech organs; as, b, j, ng. 

4. Aspirates, or Atonics, are mere emissions of articu- 
lated breath ; as, f, s, ch. 

5. Cognate Sounds are those formed by the speech organs 
in a similar position; as, b and^>, d and t. 

6. The student who aspires to accuracy of speech should 
make himself thoroughly familiar with the sounds and diacritical 
marks in the following analysis of letters. 



42 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISES IN ARTICULATION. 

1. The purpose of the following tables is to secure for 
students correct and distinct articulation, forcible enunci- 
ation and an accurate pronunciation. 

2. The first and second accomplishments may be acquired 
in large classes fully as well as in small ones. Indeed, it has 
been observed that with timid pupils the concert drill of large 
numbers is the only effective means of securing that energetic 
enunciation which contributes so largely to successful vocal 
culture. 

3. Regarding the importance of the exercises the student 
may rest assured that to whatever extent he may carry his study 
and practice in the so-called " embellishments" of elocution, as 
quality, force, stress, pitch, etc., his skill in these will avail 
him little if his articulation and pronunciation be defective. It 
is not enough that the sounds be appropriate and pleasing, and 
that the pitch, force and stress be in harmony with the sentiment; 
the sounds must, be accurate — express the sense, and above all, 
must be understood by the hearers. 

4. In the exercises in articulation proceed as follows: 
Inhale deeply; first pronounce the word distinctly and accurately, 
utter each sound element in its order with energetic force and 
exaggerated distinctness. 

5. A part of each exercise should be devoted to whisper- 
ing the phonic spelling. This may be done by selecting ten or 
more words for drill, and after vocally uttering the sounds, re- 
peat the same in a forcible whisper. 

6. A portion of every exercise in elocution, should include 
a few minutes' drill in articulation and enunciation. They can 
not receive too much attention. 

7. Stand erect, the eyes front, the chin slightly dropped, 
the chest full, the shoulders firm and your mind upon what you 
are doing. 



DRILL ON DIACRITICAL MARKS. 



43 



1? 

2 ** 



o ^ 



w < 
d o 
«c a««>«i ft.i ^ MU oc Sis opupaP ti or 
II ii - II * *s,g 1 o II II o o n || || || || || n t, ; : ^ 
J? = § N S. S « ?. ° ^^.tf* o & « » M « ■? co : : : 
• • = • • - a ii -2. > oo • • II II ::»•:• 

!-! fi 1 = r-lBfi 1 j *?.! M.! i Ml i ! ! 

::::::=••• o :;:::::■::: 3 :: : 

:::::::: > : : : : : : I : : : : g : : : 

» : : : : oo • • ; 

. ::::::: ^ : : : . . : • . . . 


T> 






ate 
me 
ice 
old 
due 

say 

team 

tool 
thyme, time 


§ si 

3 


5. .... s 

• • zi '. ^ '. & p, so ^' B ob 

::":■::::: - : g<: §* : : : : : % §S§|S 
5'" •= 


s 5 I 


air 
thgre 

for 
ftrn 

where, fare 



nor 


o 
'"a 5 
5. d V 

* 5' 


ah, all 
lien 
rude 

lien 
call 

move, rude 


© o • 
a ■ n • 


put 

wan 

son 
wolf, full 

gin 






o O • 


:::::::: :::::::: <& : : ■ 








Is* 

a 8 — " 


a Id 

! : ■: : .: 1 %% :!•::::::'.::! 

o | 










O 

s 

IIS 

> 


prey 

gay 
sink 














DO 

d 

u oo ,—. 
> w • 


«::£::::: ::::::::::::::::: 
















M 




44 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



TABLE 



ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 







Vocals. 






Subvocals. 












b as in bob, bay. 


bibb. 


a, e as in 


ate, 


prey, 


aim. 


d 


" did, dog, 


dad. 


a " " 


at, 


cat, 


sat. 


g 


1 " gag, gig, 


gog. 


a, e " " 


&ir, 


ere, 


fare. 


j, g 


" jut, g6m, 


judge. 


a " " 


arm, 


cart, 


ark. 


1 


' " ied, iad, 


lull. 


a " " 


ask, 


task, 


last. 


m 


" man, mad, 


mum. 


a, 6 " " 


all, 


Orb, 


awe. 


n ' 


' " nun. nice. 


nine. 


e, 1 " " 

6 " " 


eve, 

61k, 


field, 
ten, 


e'en 
m6n. 


ng, n ' 
r 


' " sing, rink, 
" rear. rill, 


s6ng. 
roar. 


e, I, y " " 


err, 


sir, 


cyrt. 


th 


1 " the, thus. 


they. 


i,y " " 


ice, 


rye, 


vice. 


V 


1 " van, v6st, 


vane. 


l,y » " 


HI, 


hymn, 


sin. 


w ' 


• " war, wit, 


was. 


" " 


OW, 


ton, 


bowl. 


y 


' " yet, yes, 


you. 


6, a " " 


odd. 


wad, 


wan. 


z, § 


' " zone, his. 


say§. 


o, oo '•' " 


lose. 


goose, 


ooze 


z (zh) ' 


' " az'ure, glazier, 




u " " 


use, 


tune, 


new. 








u, " " 


us, 


son, 


sup. 




Aspirates. 




a " " 


ftrn, 


burn, 


urge. 


f as in fin. fan, 


fife. 


u, oo " " 


pull. 


wool. 


full. 


h 


1 " hod. had. 


hull. 


oi, oy " " 


oil, 


joy, 


boy. 


k,e 


' " key, can. 


kick. 


ou, ow" " 


out, 


owl. 


cow. 


P 


1 " pip, pad, 


pup. 


a = a + e. 








s, <;, 


' " sin, (;ite, 


sun. 


l = a + e. 








t 


' " tat, tin, 


tot. 


O = + oo. 








ch 


' " chin, chair. 


chOp. 


a=e + oo. 








sh 


" " she, shine, 


show. 


oi, oy = + I. 






tb 


" " thin, think, 


thick. 


ou, ow = a + oo . 






Wl) 


" " when, why, 


whip. 



Drill Exercises on Elementary Sounds, 

1. Pronounce the word distinctly, then sound the marked element with exaggerated dis- 
tinctness, thus, ate . . . . a; at .... d. Reverse the order. 

2. Repeat the list of sounds in order with the key words immediately following; thus, 
a as in die, & as in At, etc. 

3. Write, in order, the elementary sounds with proper mark and key word. [The word 
in the first column is the key word. ] 

4. Pronounce the Vocals, first with a downward slide, then with an upward slide. Pro- 
nounce in a distinct whisper. 



ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 45 

EXERCISES IX DIFFICULT COMBINATIONS. 

Indistinct and faulty articulation frequently results from 
an imperfect command of the brain over the muscles involved 
in speech; hence, one of the greatest benefits to be derived 
from the persistent practice upon difficult combinations is to 
establish that intimate connection between the mental powers 
and the physical organs which will permit no uncertain utterance. 

Let the student acquire the power of concentrating his at- 
tention upon what he is saying, and the difficulties of articula- 
tion will speedily disappear. 

PRONOUNCE WITH GREAT DISTINCTNESS. 

1. baffl'd'st, bloom'd'st, balk'd'st, breath'd'st, troubl'd'st. 

2. bund'dl'st, bridl'd'st, bloom'd'st, bask'st, grumbl'd'st. 

3. circl'st, curl'st, charm'd'st, clasp'd'st, crimson' d'st. 

4. dragg'd'st, dazzl'd'st, wid'n'd'st, thick'n'd'st, hard'n- 

d'st. 

5. fondl'st, triil'd'st, muffl'd'st, stifl'd'st, fold'st. 

6. grabbl'st, mangi'd'st, wiggTd'st, struggl'd'st, dragg'd'st. 

7. heark'n'd'st, help' d'st, harp'd'st, hearths, handl'd'st. 

8. lik'd'st, laugh'st, lengths, launch'd'st, less'n'd'st, lists. 

9. mingl'd'st, milk' d'st, muzzl'd'st, minister' d'st, mind'st. 

10. prob'd'st, prompt' d'st, peopl'd'st, preserv'd'st, puzzl'- 

d'st. 

11. rav'Pd'st, risk'd'st, reason'd'st, rattl'd'st, harp'd'st. 

12. soften'd'st, sparkl'dst, swamp'd'st, sharpen' d'st, 

smooth'st. 

13. twelfth, triumph'd'st, trampl'd'st, tattl'd'st, twing'd'st. 

14. wak'n'd'st, whelm'd'st, warmths, whistl'd'st, wiggl'd'st. 

GENERAL EXERCISES IN ARTICULATION. 

Note.— Repeat sentence once slowly and distinctly, then repeat five times with 
great rapidity and distinctness. Afterward repeat in a distinct whisper. 

1. She sups sheep soup. 

2. A shot-silk sash shop. 



46 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. I saw snow softly snowing. 

4. Socks and shoes shock Susan. 

5. Five wise wives weaves withered withes. 

6. Don't run along the wrong lane. 

1. The hosts still stands in strangest plight. 

8. Let lovely lilacs line Lee's lonely lane. 

9. She was sitting sewing snug and warm. 

10. I snuff shop-snuff; do you snuff shop -snuff? 

11. She sells sea-shells; do you sell sea-shells? 

12. He built an ice-house near his own nice house. 

13. Some shun sunshine; do you shun sunshine ? 

14. The sun shines smilingly on the shop-signs. 

15. Two totally tired toads tried to trot to Toadsbury. 

16. The old, cold, scold sold a school coal-skuttle. 
IV. He sawed six long, slim, sleek, slender saplings. 

18. She says she shall sew a sheet. 

19. Charles Smith's Thucydides. 

20. The peevish, feeble freeman feebly fought for free- 

dom. 

21. A rural ruler, truly rural. 

22. The glassy glaciers gleamed in glowing light. 

23. Whelpy Whelvell White was a whimsical, whining, 

whispering, whittling whistler. 

24. A big black bug bit a big black bear. 

25. Beneath the booth I found baths, cloths, laths, 

moths, sheaths, paths and wreaths. 

26. I said "literary, literally, literarily," not " literarily, 

literary, literally." 

27. I said "a knap-sack strap," not "a knap sack's 

strap. " 

28. Gibeon Gordon Grelglow, the great Greek gram- 

marian, graduated at Grilgrove College. 

29. The laurel crowned clown crouched cowering into the 

cupboard. 



ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 47 

30. Sheba Sherman Shelly sharpened his shears and 

sheared his sheep. 

31. Shrewd Simon Short sewed shoes. 

32. Success to the successful thistle-sifter. 

33. See that thou in sifting a sieve full of unsifted 

thistles, thrust not three thousand thistles through 
the thick of thy thumb. 

34. Thou prob'st my rack'd and weary ribs. 

35. Eight great gray geese grazing gaily into Greece. 

36. With a shriek she shrank before the shrine. 

37. Hear the shrill shriek of the screaming shrapnel. 

38. Amidst the mists with angry boasts, 
He thrusts his fists against the posts, 
And still insists he sees the ghosts. 

39. He drew long, legible lines along the lovely land- 

scape. 

40. Did you ever see a saw saw a saw as that saw saws a 

saw? 

41. Round the rough and rugged rocks the ragged rascal 

ran. 

42. She uttered a sharp, shrill shriek and then sunk 

from the shriveled form that slumbered in the 
shroud. 

43. Prithee, blithe youth, do not mouth your words when 

you wreathe your face with smiles. 

44. Strange Sam should slight such splendid summer 

sales. 

45. Thou turnedst, graspedst, countedst, rushedst forth 

and disappearedst. 

46. Truly rural, truly rural rationalist. 

47. Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to 

you, trippingly on the tongue. 

48. The grass grows green above her grave. 

49. Vile villains vent their vengeance vyingly. 



48 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

50. Learned lads like long lessons. 

51. Mournfully they marched to the martial music. 

52. Napoleon's noble nature knew no niggardly notions. 

53. Soldiers, sailors, seamen, all were lost. 

54. Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. 

55. Of all the saws I ever saw, I never saw a saw saw as 

that saw saws. 

56. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. 

57. Sober Stephen sold sugar, starch, spices, saddles, 

stirrups, screws, silks, satins, shawls and skates. 
Read the following correctly (in review) in one breath: 
Theophilus Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter, in sifting 
a sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust three thousand thistles 
through the thick of his thumb. Now, if Theophilus Thistle, 
the successful thistle-sifter, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted 
thistles, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his 
thumb, see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, 
thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy 
thumb. Success to the successful thistle-sifter. 



Note.— Read the following correctly, at first irj seventy seconds,— in sixty sec- 
onds,— in review in fifty seconds. It has been read intelligibly in thirty-six seconds. 
Read the first paragraph in one breath, then read the first and second paragraph in 
one breath. Read in a whisper occasionally by way of variation— an admirable exer- 
cise: 

THE TWO BOOT-BLACKS. 

1. A day or two ago, during a lull in business, two little boot- 
blacks, one white and one black, were standing at the corner doing noth- 
ing, when the white boot-black agreed to black the black boot-black's 
boots. The black boot-black was of course willing to have his boots 
blacked by his fellow boot-black, and the boot-black who had agreed to 
black the black boot-black's boots went to work. 

2. When the boot-black had blacked one of the black boot-black's 
boots, till it shone in a manner that would make any boot-black proud, 
this boot-black who had agreed to black the black boot-black's boots 



ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 49 

refused to black the other boot of the black boot-black until the black 
boot-black, who had consented to have the white boot-black black his 
boots, should add five cents to the amount the white boot-black had made 
blacking other men's boots. This the boot-black whose boot had been 
blacked refused to do, saying it was good enough for a black boot-black 
to have one foot blacked, and he didn't care whether the boot that the 
boot-black hadn't blacked was blacked or not. 

3. This made the boot-black who had blacked the black boot- 
black's boot as angry as a boot-black often gets, and he vented his black 
wrath by spitting upon the black boot of the black boot-black. This 
roused the latent passions of the black boot-black, and he proceeded to 
boot the white boot-black with the boot which the white boot-black had 
blacked. A fight ensued, in which the white boot-black who had refused 
to black the unblacked boot of the black boot-black, blacked the black 
boot-black's visionary organ, and in which the black boot-black wore all 
tha blacking off his blacked boot in booting the white boot-black. 



50 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION, 



COMMON ERRORS IN PRONUNCIATION, 



1. Among many persons there exists a constant tendency 
to mispronounce certain combinations of sounds. This tendency 
arises from one of several causes and . occasionally from all. 
They may be caused, first, by an imperfect apprehension of the 
sound; second, an inability to reproduce the sound, and third, 
a careless indifference. 

2. To overcome the first and second difficulties, train the 
ear to discover the true sound and to detect the error, and the 
speech organs to execute the sound correctly. The only remedy 
for the third cause is an appeal to the student's sense of pro- 
priety. 

3. These faults are represented in part by the following 
words. Use them as a drill. 



ant 


for aunt 


sence 


for since 


ask 


ask 


si lunt 


" si lent 


after 


after 


spoon 


11 spoon 


an' 


and 


statue 


etat ate 


ael 


ale 


teown 


town 


b&rl or barl 


bar'rel 


trav'ler 


traveler 


ben 


" been (bin) 


voi o lent 


" violent 


be in' 


" be'ing 


wus 


" was 


bun'nit 


" bon'net 


Avat'ter 


" wa'ter 


breth'urn 


" bretfa ren 


ware or wftr 


" were 


eaif 


eaif 


yen'der 


" yonder 


ka'd or keard 


card 


'east 


" yeast 


ketch 


catch 


maak 


" make 


sul'ler 


cel'lar 


ra e.ed 


raid 


char or ehear 


chair 


prar'ie 


prairie 


clul'durn 


children 


maat 


" mat 


kaw'fe 


" coffee 


faer 


fare 


corn ma 


" e<5m'ma 


ther, thftr, thar or 




dooz 


" does (diiz) 


thar 


there 


dreen 


drain 


ar, ar, ar or er 


ere or air 


doo 


" due 


iaf, laf or laf 


laugh 


el urn 


" elm 


gaunt 


gaunt 


ere 


" ere 


grass or grass 


" gra«B 


ev"ry 


" ev' e ry 


cought 


caught 



COMMON ERRORS IX ■ PRONUNCIATION. 



.VI 



f&' or fur 


for far 


w&nd 


for wand 


fawm 


form 


was 'sail 


" was 'sail 


feah 


fear 


heyhr 


here 


fur 


for 


mourn 


mourn 


fOrge 


forge 


dawg 


dOg 


feound 


found 


f Or rest 


fOr'est 


ga'den 


" garden 


doth 


doth 


heerd 


heard 


put 


put 


hisf'ry 


hlst'o ry 


nur 


nOr 


i dee or i de a 


i de a 


says 


" says (sez) 


jlst 


" joist 


any 


any (en'ny) 


law ses 


lOss'es 


luth'er 


leather 


maeed 


made 


hair or hair 


hair 


ma'k 


mark 


aim or urn 


earn 


mel ler 


mellow 


pert or purt 


pert 


mawk 


" mock 


mur'cy 


mer'cy 


mOd'ist 


mod 'est 


kelnd 


kind 


past 


" past 


aye 


aye (ay) 


prob'ble 


" probable 


faire 


fire 


protes" 


" pro tests' 


dee'strict 


district 


rather 


rath'er 


sir up 


sirup 


reg'ler 


" reg ular 


geirl or gurl 


girl 


rench 


rinse 


burd 


bird 


roof 


roof 


won't or woon't 


won't 


root 


root 


forger 


forger 


scarce 


scarce 


fawg 


fOg 


sev'ral 


" sever al 


none 


nOne 


shull 


shall 


saith 


" saith (sOth) 


sreek 


shriek 


woor'sted 


wors'ted(woos'ted) 


shet 


shut 


soot 


suit 



Pronunciation Matches.- 
had as often as once a week. 



■Pronouncing matches should be 



52 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



ENGLISH WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 



[Silent letters are printed in Italics.] 



Drill I. 


Drill II. 


Drill III. 


Drill IV. 


on 


ere 


homo 


eazf 


ay 


e'er 


pass 


eaul 


off 


gape 


salt 


lieu 


was 


nape 


lost 


aunt 


due 


bade 


bird 


nude 


61m 


lute 


m6ek 


deaf 


ddg 


here 


rise (n) 


won't 


urn 


fist 


iOiol 


tune 


new (nu) 


long 


root 


gaol 


wan 


were 


hazf 


g6ne 


Drill V. 


Drill VI. 


Drill VII. 


DriU VIII. 


earn 


magi 


far o 


booth 


wont 


da is 


withe 


joust 


quay (ke) 


ally' 


borne 


saith (Beth) 


gyve 


lien 


chant 


ehair 


path 


ide a 


graft 


mourn 


none 


tl ny 


their 


spoon 


vast 


du'ty 


groat 


coneh (kdnk) 


wand 


ar id 


rinse 


s&lve 


ruse 


Onyx 


surge 


seine 


bath 


1 ron (lurn) 


serge 


forge 


Drill IX. 


Drill X. 


Drill XI. 


Drill XII. 


ghoul 


eAyle 


aroma 


i rate' 


sough (suf) 


hough (h6k) 


lu rid 


ofren 


hearth 


ps&lm 


extol 


after 


quoit (kwoit) 


plait 


char y 


caret 


staZk 


lithe 


flery 


water 


swear 


.fdsse 


again (-gen) 


dl van' 


laugh (iaf) 


chaps 


vis' or 


Irony (-n) 


shaft 


corps 


nom' ad 


irony (adj.) (I urny) 


verge 


hazve 


eabai 


sir 'up 


br6th 


troth 


exude' 


eo'pal 


Drill XIII. 


Drill XIV. 


Drill XV. 


Drill XVI. 


a' 11 as 


ra' tio (ra' shi o) 


na' sal 


chough (chuf) 


pi an' o (n) 


vlear 


fa^et 


launch 


e' dile 


ten' et 


hov' el 


yozrths 


bra' vo (n) 


ox Ide 


6f ' fal 


brooch 


res' in 


eyrie a' ry 


ag' lie 


trough (trg,wf) 



ENGLISH WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 



53 



Drill XIII (Con.) Drill XIV (Con.) Drill XV (Con.) Drill XVI (Con.) 



de slst' 

f6f id 

gu&' va gwa' va 

16' ver 

mon' ad 

Drill XVII. 

fOr' est 
ba salt' 
c6m' ent(n) 
p6s' tie 
de sist' 
re (j6ss' 
ex hOrt' 
al lies' 
eome ly 
fan' ces 

Drill XXI. 

puts ne 
dali lia (-ya) 
fir ial(-yal) 
heh' en 
tas'sel 
c;e' rate 
ex else' 
av' e 11 tie 
f&c' He 
viz' ier Oyer) 

Drill XXV. 

eon tour' 
gon' do la 
prOb ity 
cats son 
pag' eant 
ad' i pose 
gal' lows (-las) 
fl nanc;e' 
ieth' mus 
hy' gl ene 



sa' tyr 
tep' id 
a dult' 
o de' on 
pet' al 

Drill XVIII. 

a ca' ci a (-ski a) 

1 ' o dine 

ly ce ' urn 

rap Ine 

rib aid 

dec' ade 

6n' sign 

mu §e um 

ven due' 

dOc/ He 

Drill XXII. 

c6f ' fee 

bon net 

cog nae (kon' yak) 

don' jon 

Or' gleg 

pi az' za 

ret' i na 

stra' ta 

vaga' ry 
vi ra' go 

DriU XXVI. 

ju- gu lar 
eMnie' ra 
as phait' 
py ri' teg 
suffice' (-flz) 
ge n6r' ic 
aure' o ia 
best' ial (yal) 
eho' rist 
pros sic 



naiad (na' yad) 

a mom' 

sin' ew (sin' yu) 

ma' ni a 

a dieu' 

Drill XIX. 

6r de al 
bar' rel 
as surne 
Or' eMd 
forg er 
ba na na 
vl' rile 
ca nine 
oe cult' 
tl rade 

DriU XXIII. 

th& ught 
swol/en 
por tray' 
fe' brlle 
pal&' ver 
bro' mine 
eu ra ' tor 
ful' some 
ear' bine 
plateau (-to) 

DriU XXVII. 

eon' cOrd 

ber iou>s 

pre' ml er 
spin' ach (6j) 
coil rant' 
ver bose' 
r6v er i'e' 
am' a teur' 
worst' ed 
fuch si a ( Wb. ) 
fu' shia (Wor.) 



fetich (tisn) 

ellque 

bftrred 

truths 

vawnt 

Drill XX. 

se nlle 
ger' und 
bar' ass 
ro bust' 
f6c und 
sa' trap 
6x' taut 
par' ent 
suM le 
cOr net 

DriU XXIV. 

obes' ity 

squa' lOr 

bos' tage 

in qui' ry 

pla card' 

frOnt' al 

dif fuse (adj.) 

dig <;ern' 

prayers 

lei§' ure (-zhur) 

Drill XXVIII. 

syr' iuge 

mat i nee' 

er' u dite 

flo' rist 

be dl ' zen 

gla mo?ir 

ian' guor (-gwur) 

gher' kin 

cay 6n??e 

court' ier (-yer) 



Drill XXIX. 

16' ni ent 
def ' i clt 
ad' verse 
a' pri cot 
usurp' er 
Im' pi ous 
b6n' zlne 
gla' ct'er 
pre text' 
rou tine 



Drill XXX. 

cae §u' ra 
gran a ry 
per sist 
prai' rle 
re el use' 
ruf flan (-yan) 
bla' tant 
host' Ier 
seal' lop 
squ$) ; d 



Drill XXXI. 

suav' ity (swav-) 

dis' tic/i 

eu' ra coo' 

an cho vy 

is' o late 

pa py rus 

ai' ca rail 

a men' ity 

bi tu' men 

broth' el 



Drill XXXII. 

e pis' tie 

blv' ou ae (-wak) 

ard' a ous 

was' sail 

sys' to le 

ho ri zon 

pa rOt id 

keel son 

e qua ble 

e ly§' I an 



54 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



Drill XXXIII. 

f rue ti fy 
col an der 
ill hi list 
cAlo' ride 
ap par' ent 
squir' rel 
op po ' nent 
va ga' rle§ 
frOnt' i&i 
e ner' vate 

DrUl XXXVII. 

ere' dence 

sub ur ban 

re tro act' 

bal sam'ie 

deeo' rous 

sur named' 

ve ' lie ment 

hie' eough (hik' up) 

char drou 

c6n' strue 

DriU XLI. 

mat' ron ize 
cere' ments 
cow' ard ice 
drom ' e da ry 
eon' course 
com' mu nigm 
ex' qui §ite 
fef i c/usm 
deeliv ous 
ad' mirable 

DriU XLT. 

mael' strom 
ap' pa ra' tus 
eon' tu me ly 
de far eate 
rep' u table 
ex em pla ry 
grim ai' kin 
ae eh' mate 
fran chlge 
rep' a rable 

Drill XLIX. 

eal em' a ble 
ab sol' ti to ry 
com man d&nt 
recitative' 
flaccid' ity 



Drill XXXIV. 

rail' ler y 

ty ran' nie 

eq ui page (-pej) 

a men' able 

dioc/ e san 

(;ine/<0' na 

ma ni ae al 

don' a rive 

lus' clous (lush' us) 

eon' tra ry 

DriU XXXVIII. 

tartar' ie 

par' af fine 

tran' quil 

in doc He 

nau seous (na r shus) 

sar' do nyx 

de ri slve 

vir u lent 

eu' li na ry 

hy men 6 al 

DrUl Xlill. 

special ty(spesh'alty 

gla dl' o lus 

chiv' al rie 

tru' eu lent 

pe eiinia ry (-ya ry) 

leg' end a ry 

diseO?n~se' 

serive ner 

south east 

as so' (ji ate (-shi at) 

DriU XL VI. 

ar' mis tige 

ful' mi nate 

ehor' is ter 

con ge' rie§ 

des' ul to ry 

im brogl' io (brol' yo) 

ver' digrls 

men ag e rie (-azti-) 

fin' an c t ier' 

diphthe' ria(dif-) 

DrUl L,. 

an' te pe nult' 
gum ar' ab Ie 
men in gl' tis 
post' hu mous 
ren' dezxous 



Drill XXXV. 

cog no men 
fre queut 
as pir ant 
mor' phine 
spe cious (-shus) 
dOl' o rous 
dy na mite 
a phel' ion (-yun) 
recti §ant 
eel' ibacy 

DriU XXXIX. 

dish eV el 

vie' in age 

si ne cure 

sphe roid 

unet' uous(unkt yu 

us u' ri ous 

gour' mand 

court' e ous 

be he moth 

cyn o sure 

DriU XLIII. 

sov ' er e\gn 
sop' o rlf ie 
crem' a to ry 
cas' si mere 
eo' ad ju' tor 
alter nate (v) 
al ter' nate (n) 
mis' t\e toe 
I ras' ci ble 
dig hon' est 

DrUl XL VII. 

cMl ced ' o nj- 
ar le go rlst' 
eon' ver sant 
trou' ba dowr 
il' lus trate 
in' ter stlce 
pla' gia rlst 
per' emp to ry 
com' par able 
sub sid' ence 

Drill LI. 

sac, er do' tal 
pre sci ence (-shi-) 
ho' me op' athy 
lar yn gi' tis 
ear' iea ture 



Drill XXXVI. 

an ti mo ny 

co quet ry 

tri ehi' na 

seir rMs 

sen' ti ent(-8hi ent) 

im mo' bile 

eor' ri dor 

splen' e tie 

mus tache' 

6q' ui voke 

Drill XL. 

ped' a go gy 
mag' a zine' 
re sOz^rce' 
res' pit eel 
inta^l io(-yo) 
a' er o naict 
bo re a' lis 
gan grene' 
ju' ve nile 
mar' I time 

DrUl XLIV. 

r6f ' er a ble 
in fantile 
re fat' a ble 
ob jur' gate 
eoch' i ne«l 
tri' lo bite 
ar abas ter 
acou' sties (kow) 
there' fore 
con ii danf 

DrUl XL VIII. 

re me' diable 
respir' able 
hos' pi ta ble 
eon sum' mate (adj ) 
high way man 
re fer' ri ble 
im pla' ca ble 
In' dieato ry 
em' en da' tion 
remSd'iless 

DriU LII. 

cap ' i tol ine 
apothe' osis 
bal' der dash 
bronc/a tis 
clem o ni a eal 



ENGLISH WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 



55 



Drill XMX(Con.) 

pa ren' efty mA 
met' allur gy 
dls' pu ta ble 
lain ' ent a ble 
com pen sate 

Drill 1.111. 

con 6erv a tor 
pro vo' ea tive 
me' te or' o lite 
se qu6s trate 
mis con strue 
dep' ri va' tion 
demon strate 
three legged' 
hy poth' e nuse 
inop'por tune' 



Drill L (Con.) 

ea llg ra phy 
in im' it a ble 
aeeli mated 
te leg ra pby 
t6n sili' tis 

DriU LIV. 

leg is la' tive 

di plo ma tist 

mar' <;hi6n ess 

mis' chiev cms 

in' ter est ing 

en f ran chlge 

clan des tine 

su per fi cies (fish ez) 

vin' di ca tive 

sic ri 16 gtous 



Drill M (Con.) 

ca mel o pard 
dis ha. bIKe 
hy drdp' a thy 
6b' li ga to ry 
mas' saering 

DriU L.V. 

prot es ta tion 
trans fer a ble 
un fre quent' ed 
com' plai §anqe 
ir ref ra ga ble 
ir re me' di a ble 
pre sent i ment 
re cog ni zanc;e 
si mul ta' ne ous 
char nel-house 



Drill LII (Con.) 

fore eas t\e 
mer' can tile 
pi a' no-for' te 
pre ced enqe 
strye/i nine 

DriU LVI. 

con tu me'li ous(yus) 
in com' pa ra ble 
front is piec;e 
un prec; e dent ed 
leo mar' ga riue 
ag' ri cult' ur ist 
II thog' ra pher 
Ir re cog ni za ble 
ter gi ver sa tion 
pro nun'Qiation(-shi-) 



56 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



FOREIGN WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 



A few of the following words have received an English 
pronunciation. 

The student should find the meaning of the terms. 



abandon (n) (a ban dong) 

ado be 

aid de camp (k6ng) 

adagio (ad a gio) 

allegro (al la' gro) 

an' gli ce 

attache (at asha) 

apropos (a propo') 

au fait (o fa) 

au revoir (o rev war) 

ballet (bai la') _ 
basbleu(babloo') 
beaux esprit (bozes' pre) 
belles lettres (bel let' ter) 
bijou (bezhoo) 
blase" (biaza 1 ) 
bonhomie (bo no me) 
bon mot (bon' mo) 
boulevard (boo' le var') 
bouquet (boo' ka) 

cafe" (ka' fa) 

cachet (kash' a') 

caisson (ka' son) 

canon (kan' yun) 

cantatrice (kan tatre' che) 

caoutchouc (koo' chook) 

carte de visite (karf de ve zet ) 

cart blanche (kart bldnsh) 

caviar (kav' e ar) 

charge" d'affaires (shar' zha. daf far ) 

charivari (share' va re) 

e6m'plai§ance 

corps d'armee (kor' dar ma ; 

cortege (k6r' tazh) 

coup d'etat (koo' data) 

coupe (koo pa') 

coupon (koo' pong) 

coyote (koio' te) 

cuisine (kivezen') 



deljouche (da boo sha') 
de"bris (da bre ) 
de"but(dabu') 
debutant (da bu t6ng) 
debutante (da bu taut) 
denouement (da noo mOng) 
dernier ressort (dern ya res sor ) 
distingue (dis tang ga) 
douche (doosh) 

eclat(akia ) 

ec'ce ho'mo (ek'se) 

elite(aleet') 

em' ploy e) 

encore (dug kor ) 

ennui (ong nwe) 

en route (ong root) 

entree ( ong tra) 

esprit de corp (es pre de kor ) 

elagere (ef azhar) 

6tui(atwe) 

exeunt (eks' se unt) 

expose (eks po za') 

facade (fa sad) 
finale (fena' la) 
finesse (fl nes) 

gamin (gamang ) 

garcon (gar son ) 

gens d'armes (zh&n darm ) 

giaour (jour) 

gout (goo) 

haricot (har e kO) 
hauteur (ho.tur) 

jeu d'esprit (zhu' des pre ) 
kirschwasser (kersh'was ser) 
litterateur (16 ta' ra tur) 
mademoiselle (mad' mwazeT) 



FOREIGN WORDS OFTEN" MISPRONOUNCED. 



57 



man da' mus 
mayonnaise (ma y6n az) 
melange (ma Ion zh) 
melee (ma la ) 
mesdame8 (ma dam) 
mezzotint (med zo tint) 
mirage (mi r&zh ) 
miserere (miz e r©' re) 
monsieur (mo seer) 
morale (mo rai) 

naively (na ev ly) 
naivete" (na r evta) 
neglige'e (na gia zha ) 

on dit (<5ngde ) 
outre (o tra) 

papier mache" (pap' ya' ma sha i 
patois (pat wa') 
penchant (poug' shong) 
protege (pro ta zha) 
pueblo (pu eb lo) 
qui vive (ke vev) 

raisonuer (ra' zon na') 
ranchero (ran tsha' ro) 
recherche (ruh sher sha ) 
restaurateur (ras' to ' ra tur' ) 
reconnoissance (re e6n nis saus; 
regime (ra zheem) 



renaissance (ruh na' s6ngs) 
repertoire (ra' par twSr ) 
resume (ra' zu' ma') 
ricochet (rik osha') 
role (rol) 
rouge (roozh) 
roue"(roa ) 

sa' lam' 

sa loo. 

sang froid (songfrwa') 

savant (sa vong) 

se'ance(sa' ongs) 

silhouette (sil do et) 

sobriquet (so' bre ka ) 

soi disant (swS dezong) 

soire'e (swa ra ) 

sotto voce (sot' to vo' cha) 

souvenir (soov neer) 

tapis (ta pe ) 
tiers e"tat (te erz a ta ) 
tournure (toor nbor ) 
tragedienne (tra' je de 6n) 

valet de chambre (va la' de sh6ng br) 
vaudeville (vod' v61) 
vis avis (vis' av6) 

zouave (zwav) 



58 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



PROPER NAMES AND PROPER ADJECTIVES 
OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED, 



Aaron (ar' on) 
Ad e la 

M ne id (e ne' id) 

Af gMn Is tan 

A don is 

Ajaccio (ayaf cho) 

Al a mo 

Al' ar Ic 

Al' dine 

Alicia (allsh' I a) 

All 

Al' pine 

An til' leg 

Aph ro dl' te 

Ar ab 

Ar' able 

A ri' on 

Ar con (ar' son) 

Arctic (ark tik) 

Ar' kan sas 

Arnaud (ar no) 

Asia (ashia) 

Aubert (o' ber ') 

Au ge' an 

Dal mor' al 

Bai zae' 

Bar time' us 

Bas tile' 

Beauchamp (beech' am) 

Beethoven (ba' to' ven) 

Bed o win 

Be' li al 

Boccaccio (bok kat' cho) 

Boleyn (bobl' in) 

Bolingbroke (b61 r ing brook) 

Borghese (borga' za) 

Boulanger (boo Ian zhae) 

Bos' ton (not baw stun) 

Brah' min 

Brough' am 

Bud dMsin 

Buf ' fon 

Bur' gun dy 

Cadi 

Cai i' fOr' ni a 



Cai II o pe 

Car Tb be an 

Cas si o pe a 

Cauea si an (-shl) 

Ce ell i a 

Cenci, Beatrice 

(ch6n' chee, ba a tre' cha) 

Cham (kam) 

Cheops (ke ops) 

Cherubini (ka ru be' ne) 

Chi ea go 

Chi ne§e' 

Chopin (sho pan ) 

Christianity (krist yan i ty) 

Concord (kong kurd) 

CrlcA' ton 

Curacoa (ku' ra so ) 

Cuvier (ku ye a) 

Czerny (cher' ne) 

Dan ish 

DAubigne (do ben'ya) 

Deb o rali 

Descartes (da' kart ) 

De Stael (stai) 

Disra ell 

D6r ie 

D6r' o the a 

Edinburgh (ed' in bur' ro) 

E li' ab 

E 11' pha let 

Eaneuil Hall (fan el) 

Feb ru a ry 
Freycinet (fra' se' na ) 
Froude (frood) 

Gloucester (glos' ter) 
Goethe (geteh) 
Gounod (go no') 
Graefe (gra' fe) 
Guido (gwe' do) 
Guelph (gwelf or welf) 
Guise (gwez) 
Guizot (gezo ) 

Hawaii (ha wl' ee) 
He be 



PROPER NAMES OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 



59 



Heine (hi' neh) 
H61' le nes 
Hem an§ 
Her ml' o ne 
Holburn (ho' burn) 
Hu di bras 
lb ra him' 
I o wa 

Iphigenia (If igenla) 
Ismail (is ma eel) 
Italian (I tSl' yan) 
lx 1' on 

Jacques (Fr.) (zhak) 

Jaques (Eng.) (zbak or ja' quez) 

Juarez (hoo a' res) 

Juuot (zhu no) 

Khe dive' 

Kossuth, Louis (hosh' oot) 

Lange (lang' eh) 

La oe' on 

Lat' in(notiat'n) 

Lethe' an 

Liverrier (leh va' re a') 

Luc,y (not lob' cy) 

Lyonnais (le' un a') 

Macleod (maeloud) 
Maggiore (mad jo' ra) 
Magna -G/iar ta 
Mazzini (mat see' nee) 
Medici (med' e chee) 
Mel pom' e ne 
Mis sou' rl (not zoo) 
Moliere (mo le &r) 
Mon' gol 

Napo' le on 

Kem ' e sis 

Notre Dame (no' tr dam ) 

Oberon (6b' e ron) 
Od' ys sey 
Ome ga 
Orl '.on 

Orpheus (6r' feus) 
Ossian (osh an) 



Pall Mall (pel m61') 
Peg' a sus 
Pe nel' o pe 
Persia (per' shl a) 
Phlian' der 
Phlle' mon 
Pleiades (pie ya dez) 
Plu' tare/i 

Pompeii (pom pa' ye) 
Psyche (sy' ke) 

Richelieu (resh' el loo) 
Rousseau (roo so) 

saha' ra 

Salo' me 
San' he drim 
Schurz. Carl (shobrts) 
SeV me 
Slg' is mund 
Steph' a na 
Strahan (strawn) 
Sturm (stobrm) 
S3' san (not sob' san) 

Terp sieh o re' an 
Tha li a 
Thiers (te§r') 
Tuileries (twe le re) 

Ul' ri ea 

Ul" timaThu' le 

Ulys' ses 

U' ran us 

Vespucci (ves poof chee) 

Vibert (ve bar ) 

Vir gin' i a (not gin' ya) 

Whewell (hu el) 
Worcester (woo' ster) 

Yonge (yung) 

Zac e//e' us 
Za.eh' a ry 



60 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



VOICE AND SPEECH CULTURE. 



1. Voice is the audible vibrations heard in the air passing 
from the lungs into and through the vocal organs. The air is 
driven from the lungs as from a bellows by the action of the 
respiratory muscles ; and after receiving the vibratory motion in 
the larynx and resonance in the pharynx the peculiar sound 
termed voice is produced. Speech is made of voice by the 
proper articulations of the speech organs. 

2. The highest skill in speech is attained only by a per- 
fect control of the voice and speech organs. 

3. The chief requisite in securing great vocal power is an 
erect and easy posture of the body, giving expansiveness to the 
chest and freedom to the limbs, and that absolute command of 
the breath which will enable the speaker to utter one hundred or 
more syllables in a single breath. 

4. To secure the greatest compass and flexibility the stu- 
dent should not confine his practice to low notes, under the 
impression that thus only can he acquire the full, rich volume he 
so much admires in some favorite speaker. The exercises must 
include every interval between the highest and lowest notes. 
Practice in all degrees and tones gives compass and flexibility. 
Flexibility and decision of speech are secured largely by frequent 
practice upon passages requiring the utmost rapidity of utterance. 

5. Cultivate particularly pleasant tones and correct and 
distinct articulation. Avoid falling into the habit of a drony 
enunciation and a drowsy, drawling speech, or the offensive 
tones of affectation. 

6. In your public vocal performances, be deliberate. 
Leave nothing unfinished. The mind, not the organs involved, 
must control the speech. 



VOICE AND SPEECH CULTURE. 61 

7. Huskiness, harshness and hardness of tone result from 
the contact of air inhaled during vocal exercises with the lining 
mucous membrane of the speech organs; no air whatever should 
enter the mouth. Keep the mouth constantly moist. This will 
not be difficult if you inhale through the nostrils, and employ all 
exhaled air in phonation. 

8. The nasal passages should be kept constantly open. 
Proper breathing and cleanliness will secure this condition. 

9. Fullness, depth, richness and flexibility of tone are so 
largely dependent upon the control of the tongue, throat, and 
jaw muscles that constant attention should be given to the free 
action of these muscles. 

10. To render words most easily understood by those 
remote from the speaker, the mouth should be opened freely 
and fully, and should not be closed too suddenly in finishing 
syllables. 

11. During reading and speaking care should be exercised 
to avoid a continued pitch too high, too low, or a monotone. 
The last reacts upon the speaker, rendering his delivery dull and 
lifeless; a pitch too low usually prevents understanding the 
words; while a prolonged high pitch exhausts the speaker and 
wearies an audience beyond its capacity of enjoyment. The 
pitch should follow the general law of thought development — 
curves, slides and waves — few planes. 

12. To prevent embarrassment, arising from nervousness, 
inhale and exhale to your utmost capacity a number of times 
before attempting to use the voice in j^ublic. The same pre- 
caution will materially prevent incoherency, stuttering and 
stammering in extemporaneous speech. 

13. Finally, avoid the so-called "modern elocutionist's 
style" which seems to reach its perfection of unreality in a 
sickening affectation as repulsive to the good sense of the public 
as it is false to the teachings of nature. 

Human Sympathy. — The student is here reminded that 



62 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

however vigorous his enunciation, however accurate his articu- 
lation, appropriate his quality, force, pitch and movement, one 
element of success may be lacking. This is genuine human 
sympathy. The ear may be pleased by harmonious sounds, the 
eye fascinated by graceful gestures, and even the intellect may 
tacitly acknowledge the speaker's art, but the soul, that priest- 
ess of the inner temple, can not be deceived by outward show. 
The stifled breath, the palpitating heart, the moistened eye 
respond not to skillful movements and artistic sounds, but to 
the stricken heart — the suffering soul whose agonies the speaker's 
looks and feelings vivify. 

VOICE PRESERVATION. 

1. Do not throat your voice. 

2. Consign tobacco to the mutes. 

3. Constantly cultivate pure tones. 

4. Avoid a long continued high pitch. 

5. Use no drinks during vocal exercise. 

6. Use no stimulants or acids of any kind. 

7. Breathe as directed under Respiration. 

8. Keep the mind and body pure and healthy. 

9. Avoid affectation, arrogance, and irritability. 

10. Keep the temper as a reserve force, under control. 

11. Permit no compression about the neck, waist or chest. 



MODULATION. 63 



MODULATION. 



Modulation is the ready and perfect adaptation of the 
appropriate elements of speech to the sentiment designed to be 
conveyed. 

1. The skillful modulation of the voice requires an instantaneous 
and imperceptible transition from one quality to another, an easy increase 
or decrease of force, a ready change of stress, and a perfect command of 
every degree of pitch and movement. 

2. The good reader or speaker varies the element of expression so 
skillfully that the hearer gets a suggestion of the meaning of the words 
by the very nature of the sound in which they are uttered. 

MODE OF UTTERANCE. 

Voice is vocalized breath and as such its formation depends 
upon the method of exhalation employed in phonation and 
speech. 

As there are three methods of forcing the air from the 
lungs, termed effusive, expulsive, and explosive, so there are 
three modes of utterance derived from the manner of expiration, 
and named: 

1. Effusive Utterance, in which the tone is gently and evenly 
effused from the vocal organs without abruptness. It is the characteris- 
tic tone of tranquillity, pathos, grandeur, devotion. 

2. Expulsive Utterance, in which the tone is projected from the 
vocal organs with more or less abruptness, according to the intensity of 
feeling accompanying speech. It ranges in use from ordinary descrip- 
tion and narration to the highest forms of argumentative discourse. 

3. Explosive Utterance, in which the tone is shot forth with an 
instantaneous burst like the crack of a rifle. The abrupt shock peculiar 
to the explosive is produced by a momentary restraint of the breath in 
the glottis followed by an irresistible upward action of the respiratory 



64 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

muscles. This mode of utterance is employed in the expression of sud- 
den anger , terror, ecstasy, command. 

Application. — No one mode of utterance is likely to be appropriate 
to an entire composition. The effusive is rarely found in more than two 
or three consecutive words. The expulsive is more common than the 
others, being employed in the greater part of every conversation. 

EXERCISES IN MODES OF UTTERANCE. 

EFFUSIVE UTTERANCE. 

Sublimity, reverence. 

Father, thy hand 
Hath reared these venerable columns; thou 
Did'st weave this verdant roof. Thou didst look down 
Upon the naked earth, and forthwith rose 
All these fair ranks of trees. They in thy sun 
Budded, and shook their green leaves in thy breeze, 
And shot toward heaven. The century-living crow, 
Whose birth was in their tops, grew old and died 
Among their branches; till at last they stood, 
As now they stand, massy, and tall, and dark, 
Fit shrine for humble worshiper to hold 
Communion with his Maker. 

[From " God's First Temples."— Bryant.] 

EXPULSIVE UTTERANCE. 

Joyous exclamation. 

Go, ring the bells, and fire the guns, 

And fling the starry banner out; 
Shout ''freedom " till your lisping ones 

Give back their cradle-shout; 
Let boasted eloquence declaim 
Of honor, liberty, and fame; 
Still let the poet's strain be heard, 
With " glory " J or each second word, 
And everything with breath agree 
To praise " our glorious liberty." 

[From " Prisoner for Debt."— WMUier.] 



MODULATION. 65 

EXPLOSIVE UTTERANCE. 

Friglit) terror. 

Hear the loud alarum bells — 
Brazeu bells! 
What a tale of terror now their turbulency tells! 
In the startled ear of night 
How they scream out their affright! 
Too much horrified to speak, 
They can only shriek, shriek, 
Out of tune, 
In' a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, 
In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire, 
Leaping higher, higher, higher, 
With a desperate desire, 
And a resolute endeavor, 
Now — now to sit, or never, 
By the side of the pale-faced moon. 
O the bells, bells, bells! 
What a tale their terror tells 
Of despair! 

I From "The Bells."— Poe.} 



SLIDES. 

Slides, sometimes termed inflections, are concrete changes 
of pitch, either upward (<) or downward (^) on a single element 
or Avord. They vary in extent of elevation or depression accord- 
ing to the nature of the sentiment. 

1. The purpose of slides is to convey more accurately those deli- 
cate shades of meaning found in abstract reasoning, unemotional descrip- 
tion and narration, to give clearness to contrasted ideas, and vigor to 
expressions of earnestness, emotion and passion. 

2. In addition to the service rendered in the apprehension of the 
thought by the correct use of slides, their judicious employment gives a 
beauty, variety and melody to speech which, when artistically applied, 
is as pleasing to the ear as the most artistic variations of music and song. 



66 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. The importance of slides is shown in the fact that many actors, 
public readers and teachers of expression prepare compositicns for 
delivery and teaching by marking nearly every passage with the appro- 
priate voice slides. The author's experience with hundreds of students 
confirms the opinion that the skillful application of slides and waves 
contributes to intelligible delivery more thau any one element the orator 
may employ. 

4. While many will appreciate the value of slides in adding clear- 
ness to reading and speaking, the student is reminded that the recogni- 
tion of a requisite does not imply a natural ability to command and 
properly employ the appropriate slide. Indeed, many young people of 
superior intelligence and fair attainments in our high schools and col- 
leges are found who can neither apply the required slide when indicated 
nor imitate it when given by their instructor, without much practice. 

5. No marked degree of excellence in expressive reading may 
be expected until the student has given much time to the practice and 
intelligent study of the principles governing voice slides. 

UPWARD SLIDE. 

The Upward Slide is an elevation of voice through the con- 
crete change of pitch, the degree of elevation depending upon 
the intensity of the thought or emotion. 

GENERAL LAW OF USE. 

The Upward Slide is employed upon the accented syllable 
of those words used singly, in phrases or in sentences, denoting 
indifference, uncertainty, incompleteness, doubt, contingency, 
negation, direct interrogation, tenderness, pathos, surprise, 
wonder, anticipation. 

PRINCIPLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 

The Upward Slide is used in — 
I. Direct questions; as, 

Would you make men trustworthy? 

Do you refuse me justice! — audience — even? 

Note.— A repetition of a direct question requires the downward slide; as Did 
you go h6me? What did you say? Did you go home? 



MODULATION 



II. Emphatic interrogative repetitions; as ; 
Looked as if I guessed his meaning? 
I'm always wanting money for clothes'? 



III. Words and phrases of informal address; as, 
John, bring me your book. 
Maclaine! you've scourged me like a hound. 



Note.— A formal or emphatic address requires the downward slide, as, Fellow, 
citizens : It is no ordinary cause, etc. O comrades ! Warriors! Thkaciaxs ! 

•IV. Expressions of negation, implying contrast; as, 
He is not a man of words. 
I did not say a younger man. 

V. Anticipative phrases or clauses; as, 

To become wise and learned, requires study. 
He that can not bear a jest should not make one. 

VI. Expressions of indifference; as, 
You may go if you wish. 

What do you wish to see? Oh, nothing. 

VII. Words of pathos, entreaty, gentle reproof; as, 
He moaned so pitifully, I couldn't chide him. 
John, I'm very sorry you've disregarded my wishes. 

VIII. Unimportant particulars, except the last ; as, 
Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold. 
John, Henry, James and Charles are present. 

IX. Expressions of doubt, contingency and uncertainty ; as, 
There is a possibility of the train's being late. 

Good advice were better if well followed. 

X. Contrasts introduced by adverbial as; as, 
Night brings out stars, as sorrow shows us truth. 
As we rise in glory, we sink in pride. 



68 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



DOWNWARD SLIDE. 



The Downward Slide is a downward movement of the 
voice through the concrete change of pitch, the degree of 
depression depending upon the completeness, exactness, or defi- 
niteness of the thought in the speaker's mind. 

GENERAL LAW OF USE. 

The Downward Slide is employed upon those syllables used 
singly, in phrases or in sentences denoting completeness, determi- 
nation, certainty, command, passion, positive and decisive dec- 
laration. 

PRINCIPLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 

The Downward Slide is used in — 

I. Answers to direct or indirect questions; as, 

Did you go home ? No, I did not. 

Who discovered the Mississippi? De Soto discovered it. 

Exception.— If the person addressed is indifferent, he will usually 
answer with an upward slide; as, 

Did you enjoy your vacation? Oh, y6s, pretty we'll. 
Do you regard her as handsome? Y6s, passably so. 
Which way shall we walk? I am not particular. 

II. Declarative, imperative and exclamatory sentences; as, 
Great beggars are said to be little doers. 

Confess your faults; a fault confessed is half redressed. 

III. Completeness of thought in principal or subordinate 

clauses; as, 

Did ye not hear it? — No; 'twas but the wind, 

Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. 

On with the dance! let joy be unconfined; 

No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet 

To chase the glowing hours with flying feet: 



MODULATION. 69 

But, hark! that heavy sound breaks in once more, 
As if the clouds its echo would repeat, 
And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before! 
Arm! arm! it is — it is the cannon's opening roar! 

IV. Language of determination and certainty ; as, 
We shall attack the fort at sunrise. 

I know the power of freedom, I rejoice in her majesty. 

V. Impassioned exclamations; as, 

To arms! they come! the Greek! the Greek. 
Hence, horrible shadow! Unreal mockery hence! 

VI. Direct interrogative anticipating the answer yes or no; as, 
Have I not treated you as a gentleman ? Yes, 

Have we ever failed to keep our faith ? Isb. 

VII. Emphatic and repeated direct or indirect questions; as, 
Why have you disobeyed my commands? 

Will you stop that distressing noise ? 

VIII. Each member except the last of a commencing series ; as, 
The wisdom of the philosopher, the eloquence of the his- 
torian, the sagacity of the statesman, the capacity of the gen- 
eral, may produce more lasting effects upon human affairs, but 
they are incomparably less rapid in their influence, and less 
intoxicating from the ascendancy they confer than the art of 
oratory. 

IX. Each member except the last but one of a concluding series; 

as, 
Let a child read and understand such stories as the friend- 
ship of Damon and Pythias, the integrity of Aristides, the 
fidelity of Regulus, the purity of Washington, the invincible 
perseverance of Franklin, and he will think differently and act 
differently all the remaining days of his life. 



70 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

X. Members of sentences expressing affirmation and negation 
have opposite slides,' the affirmative member has the 
downward slide, the negative the upward; as, 

I am here to act, not to talk. 

I am here not to talk, but to act. 



WAVES, 

The Wave, (a) sometimes termed circumflex, from the twist- 
ing or crooked motion of the tone in passing over the vowels, is 
a compound movement of voice on a single syllable, word or 
sentence. 

CLASSIFICATION OF WAVES. 

The Upward Wave, expressive of completeness, is the 
union of the Upward and Downward Slides; as, ah. 

The Downward Wave, expressive of incompleteness, is the 
union of the Downward and Upward Slides; as, ah. 

Waves may be Single, consisting of the two Slides only, 
Upward or Downward; or they may be 

Multiple, consisting of any number of Slides greater than 
two, beginning with either the Upward or Downward Slide. 

Waves may be Equal when the voice slides equally in both 
directions, or they may be 

Unequal, when the voice slides unequally in both direc- 
tions. 

APPLICATION OF WAVES. 

The Upward Single Equal Wave expresses astonishment, 

A 

admiration^ as, Ah! beautiful! 

The Downward Single Equal Wave expresses scorn, con- 
tempt, ridicule, mockery, sneer; as, You a soldier ! 

Unequal Slides are employed to increase the intensity of 
emotions. 



MODULATION. 7 1 

Multiple Waves, in addition to increasing the intensity of 
expression, mark a progressiveness of emotion that produces a 
most startling impression upon the hearer. For illustrations of 
multiple waves see sentences with diagrams below. 

EXTENT OF WAVES. 

Wave of the Second, Upward or Downward, rarely un- 
equal, have the least perceptible change of pitch. It is the 
gentle undulation of voice through the interval of two notes. 
In the expression of grandeur, sublimity, and devotion with 
subdued force it gives to the voice a beauty, harmony, and 
impressiveness found nowhere else in the whole range of earth- 
ly sounds. Without it the solemn service of the church and 
the grandeur of the inspired Word become meaningless cadences 
or painful monotony. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Wave of the Second, employed with a subdued 
force and low pitch, is used to express dignified admiration, mild 
contrast, gentle yet all pervading emotions of reverence and awe, 
sentiments of beauty, sublimity, grandeur, devotion and adoration. 

Drill frequently on the following beautiful stanza: 

There the life-fires brighten, | and burn | and roll, 
O'er diamonds j that sparkle j o'er sands of gold, 
Where | to breathe the sweet air | yields. a bliss untold, 
And the dwellers | immortal J shall never grow old. 

["God's Beautiful City."—B. F. Taylor.] 

The Wave of the Third, Upward or Downward, Equal 
or Unequal, rises or falls through an interval of three notes. It 
is the characteristic wave of playful wit, humor, and good- 
natured raillery. Its peculiar deflections refer the mind back- 
ward or forward to some implied or unexpected witticism. 



12 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



LAW OF USE. 



The Wave of the Third expresses mirth, wit, jest, drol- 
lery, insinuation, double meaning, affectation, mimicry, strong 
contrast. 

Example: — 

A duchess! You shall be a queen — to all 
Who, by the courtesy, will call you so. 

Wave of the Fifth and Octave. A voice wave direct, 
inverted, equal or unequal, passing through a fifth or an octave, 
is termed emotional, or impassioned. It is characteristic of the 
greatest mental and physical agitation. Confined within the 
speaker's compass, restrained by will and controlled by judg- 
ment, it becomes one of the most potent accompaniments of 
invective, vituperation, scorn, sarcasm, and mockery which a 
speaker can employ. It rarely occurs in modern literature. 
It is found mostly in the drama. As a voice building exercise, 
giving facility in impressive transitions, it is superior to any 
other single effort required of the student. Daily practice in 
all the waves, closing with the octave, should be insisted upon 
throughout the course. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Wave of the Fifth and Octave is used to express irony, 
sarcasm, satire, sneer, ridicule, astonishment, intense interroga- 
tion, amazement, scorn, mockery, disgust, contempt, malice, 
hatred, revenge. 

For examples of waves of the fifth and octave see dia- 
grammed and miscellaneous examples following. 

EXERCISES IN WAVES. 

The student will study carefully each sentence and en- 
deavor to apply the waves in the manner indicated by the dia- 
gram following it. 



MODULATION. 



IS 



To secure facility in expression, the student should con- 
centrate his mental powers upon all the conditions surrounding 
the supposed speaker of these sentences. 

Note.— The breaks in the diagrams mark the different words. 

1. Affectation: I am so fatigued. 

2. Anxiety: Where can he be ? 

3. Gayety: Merrily they sing. 




4. Laughter, Mirth: You're a happy 
dog! 



\s* 



5. Surprise: What! the King's wife! JF\ - j^r t _^^^ 

the Queen! 1 



6. Contempt: You viay keep your 

money. 

7. Rage: / hate him! 

8. Grief: Oh, my son! my son! 

9. Sneering: Smile on, my lords! 




-*r4M~~lfls 



10. Triumph: Shout freedom! 

11. Irony: Brutus is an honorable man. 

12. Intense Irony: They are ah honor 

able men. 



->^^A/-v. 



J The skip from " wife " to " queen " is a discrete movement. 
MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES. 

Note.— Wave words not marked with the signs are in italics. 

1. I did not give a dollar. 

2. I did not give a dollar. 



74 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. Ah! it was you, then, that struck me. 

4. I did not think that he would do it. 

5. Old enough! ay, there it is. 

6. It cannot be — thou dost but say 'tis so. 

7. You boast your father was a lord ! 

8. Yes, I claim mf father was a lord. 

9. What dost thou think? Think, my lord? 
10. Gone to be married! gone to swear a peace! 
LI. O, noble judge! O, excellent young man! 

12. Oh, but he paused upon the brink. Paused did he? 

13. Thou wear a lion's hide? Doff it for shame, 
And hang a calf skin on the recreant limbs. 

14. They tell us to be moderate while they revel in pro- 

fusion. 

15. Seems, madam! nay it is; I know not seems. 

16. Can honor set a leg? No. Or an arm? No. 

17. What's in a namef That which we call a rose 
By any other name would smell as sweet. 

18. Yet this is Mo?ne and we are Romans. 

19. Men, indeed! call themselves lords of creation. 
Pretty lords, when they can't even take care of an 

umbrella ! 

20. Her mother only killed a cow, 
Or witched a churn or dairy-pan; 
But she, forsooth, must charm a man. 

21. Hath a dog money? Is it possible 

A cur can lend three thousand ducats? 

22. A second 'Daniel, & Daniel, Jew! 
A T ow, infidel, I have thee on the hip, 
A Daniel still I say; a second Daniel! 

I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. 

23. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, 
And Brutus is an honorable man. 

24. Was this ambition $ 



MODULATION. 75 

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious ; 
And, sure, he is an honorable man. 

25. And this man is now become a god! 

26. Mich in some dozen paltry villages! 
Strong in a hundred spearmen! 
Only <7re«£ in that strange spell, — 
A name. 

27. My father's trade? Why, blockhead, are you mad? 
My father, sir, did never stoop so low, — 

He was a gentleman, I'd have you know. 

28. What! shear a wolf? a prowling wolf? 



PAUSES, 

Pauses are temporary suspensions of speech between words, 
phrases and clauses. 

1. Pauses serve three purposes: 

1. To convey the speaker's meaning clearly; termed 
Sentential. 

II. To 'increase the effectiveness of delivery; termed 
Emotional. 

III. To add embellishment to the composition; termed 
Rhythmical. 

2. The primary use of pauses is to set off the divisions of 
thought — to arrange the ideas with respect to each other so that 
the mind of the hearer can grasp their relations to each other 
and to the thought as a whole. 

3. Without frequent and appropriate pauses speech is bu 
a monotonous succession of words whose related significance 
must be obtained 'only by great mental effort; while their 
judicious employment arouses and rivets the attention — quickens 
the perception and makes the receiving of truth acceptable for 
the pleasure afforded in hearing it. 



76 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

4. No combination of words however rhetorically arranged, 
however well delivered with reference to all the embellishments 
of elocution can be made to produce an effect so impressive, so 
thrilling, as a profound pause made amid the stillness of a 
breathless audience. If speech is sometimes silver, a pause is 
golden; if the former is grand the latter is awful — sublime. 

5. Punctuation marks, sometimes termed "grammatical 
pauses," indicate the syntactical structure of the sentence, but 
do not necessarily locate or determine the length of pauses. 
The reader gathers the sense of a passage by the aid of punctu- 
ation and applies the appropriate pause according to the nature 
of the sentiment, modified by attending circumstances of time, 
place and occasion. 

6. A good reader will make many more pauses than are 
indicated by the punctuations, and w T ill sometimes pass over 
such marks without any pause. In the sentence " No, sir, there 
is none." A pause between "no "and "sir" would be im- 
proper. 

7. The length of pauses is dependent wholly upon the 
nature of the thought, sentiment or emotion. As a general 
rule, lively, playful thought and joyous, excited emotions re- 
quire short pauses; commonplace sentiments, ordinary de- 
scription and narration require moderate pauses; while long 
pauses are appropriate to solemn, serious thought and emotions 
of sublimity and awe. 

principles and exercises. 

pause: 

I. Before the infinitive phrase; as, 

Life is too short | to learn more than one trade well. 
I do not rise | to waste the night in words. 

II. Before prepositional phrases; as, 

How sweet the chime | of the Sabbath bells! 
Hearts may agree | though heads differ. 



MODULATION. 7 i 

III. Before the predicate noun clause; as, 
The truth is | my money was all gone. 

My prayer shall ever be | " Angels guard thy way." 

IV. Before the object ire clause; as, 
He said, | " I am the man ye seek.'' 

Tell your master | that I await his pleasure. 

V. Before adjectives following their noun; as, 
There's a lute | unswept and a harp without strings. 
One stands apart, a woman | sad and silent. 

VI. Before relative pronouns and conjunctive adverbs; as, 
Let me have friends | whose hearts are pure. 

She fell not | when the mighty were upon her. 

VII. Before conjunctions ; as, 

Religion is an excellent armor, | but a poor cloak. 
Xight folds her sable mantle | and pins it with a star. 

VIII. Before an ellipsis; as, 

Art thou some god, | some angel, or | some devil? 
Time wasted is existence, | used | is life. 

IX. Before any important or emphatic word; as, 
The Union | must and | shall be preserved. 
When you do not know what to do | wait. 

X. Before the logical subject or subject and copula in inverted 

sentences; as, 
The happiest of girls | was Mary. 
Soon rested | those who fought. 
But beneath ail these relations | he is a man. 

XL Before the copula preceded by a phrase or clause; as ; 
Duties fulfilled | are always pleasures to the memory. 
That he may succeed | is my daily prayer. 



78 rational elocution. 

pause: 

I. After the nominative phrase or clause; as, 

The perfection of art | is to conceal art. 
All that breathe | will share thy destiny. 

II. After the objective phrase i, in an inverted sentence; as, 
My happy peaceful youth | restore to me. 

His manly face | our eyes shall see no more. 

III. After introductory predicate adjectives; as, 
Happy | is the man who owes not another. 
Gentle and kind | were the friends of my youth, 

IV. After emphatic icords; as, 

Go preach to the coward, | thou death-telling seer! 
Strike | for the sires who left you free. 

V. After a participial phrase ; as, 

Fearing a disastrous defeat | he prudently withdrew. 
Raising his hand | he motioned the boy forward. 

VI. After an important or emphatic subject; as, 
Life | is real! Life | is earnest! 

Some Cromwell, | guiltless of his country's blood. 

VII. After transposed adverbial elements; as, 
In toil | he lived; in peace | he died. 

When auger rises | breathe through your nose. 

pause: 

I. Before and after an apposition phrase; as, 

The youth, | a very giant, | soon won the respect of all. 
The citizens, [ kings of a republic, | must wield the ballot. 

II. Before and after parenthetical expressions ; as, 

The mansion J for such it was, | had been a beautiful struc= 
ture. 



MODULATION. 79 

The wolves, | the most formidable beasts present | howled 
madly. 

III. Before and after direct quotations; as, 

Lifting his eyes, | he seemed to say, | "Yes," | and sank 

back. 
It stopped to whisper, | " beware, beware," | and passed on. 

IV. Before and after important icords; as, 
And every word was | War! | war! | war! 
Lord Angus, | thou | hast | lied! 

V. Before and after a verb separated from its auxiliary; as, 
The change will, | in all probability, | aifect his mind. 
The man did, | beyond all doubt, | show great bravery. 

pause: 

Betioeen the parts of an inverted sentence; as, 
When boasting ends, | there dignity begins. 
As we advance in life, | we learn the limits of our abilities, 

PAUSES IN POETRY. 

The principles governing pauses, as stated above, apply to 
nearly every form of vocal expression, whether prose or poetry. 
The rule requiring a slight pause at the end of every line of 
poetry is misleading, and results in that sing-song style so com- 
mon among children and illiterates. The rhythm must not be 
made so prominent as to obscure the sense. Poetic measure may 
embellish thought, but it can not supplant it in expression. 

The terms caesura and demi-ca^sura should not be regarded 
as pauses, but as divisions of the rhythmical structure of the 
poetic line. Unless the sense requires a pause, regard neither 
these divisions nor the punctuation marks. Observe the follow- 
ing rule: In reading poetry, unless the sense requires a pause, 



80 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

let the voice delicately poise at caesuras, demi-caesuras and the 
end of each line. 

A vocal poise is effected by a gentle swell and pivotal 
movement of tone to the next word or line. 



QUANTITY. 



Quantity is the measure of time occupied in the utterance 
of single syllables and words. 

1. Whatever importance may be attached to the peculiar meaning 
to be given individual words, no marked success will be attained until 
the element of quantity is mastered. 

2. It is observed that the untrained speaker can not make the 
short sounds short enough nor the long sounds sufficiently long. His 
attempts in the first efforts result in incoherency, in the second, drawling. 

All syllables may be classed as: 

1. Indefinite: Capable of being indefinitely prolonged. 

2. Immutable: Incapable of prolongation. 

3. Mutable: Capable of a slight degree of prolongation. 

APPLICATION OF QUANTITY. 

Indefinite syllables, requiring Long Quantity, are employed 
in the expression of tenderness, reverence, adoration, awe, solem- 
nity, sublimity, shouting, calling, sorrow, remorse. 

Immutable syllables, requiring Short Quantity, are em- 
ployed in the expression of rapturous joy, mirth, command, 
sudden anger, terror. 

Mutable syllables, requiring Medium Quantity, are em- 
ployed in ordinary narration, description, unimpassioned con- 
versation and introductions to orations. 



MODULATION. 



81 



Exercises upon Indefinite syllables, Long Quantity. 
Prolong the syllables without mouthing or drawling. 



gray 


peace 


cold 


ah 


appall 


darkling 


woe 


moan 


poor 


home 


disarm 


smiled 


dare 


gold 


far 


praise 


beware 


pleading 


ay 


toll 


aim 


all 


forlorn 


glorious 


sea 


roam 


mourn 


mourn 


groaning 


yearning 



at 


hip 


not 


sick 


lit 


dock 


(in 


back 


sup 


duck 



sat 


lackey 


backing 


lip 


reckon 


speckle 


cup 


bedeck 


trickle 


beck 


wicket 


rocket 


map 


upper 


attic 



Exercises upon Immutable syllables, Short Quantity. 
Utter the syllables instantaneously. 

mock 

dip 

tack 

hat 

met 

Exercises upon Mutable syllables, Medium Quantity. 
Prolong these words without destroying their identity. 

mad arch hast quart spotted dotted 

sob fig odd what lately basely 

will nod big land blunder sadden 

orb heart charm debt letter trouble 

gait graft ran might thunder madder 



EMPHASIS. 

Emphasis is that peculiar utterance of words, phrases and 
clauses which renders them especially prominent or significant. 

1. The importance of Emphasis in determining the mean- 
ing of a sentence may be inferred from an examination of the 
following sentence which, by placing the emphasis upon the 
marked words, is capable of expressing seven different mean- 
ings: 

1. John did not say you bought that book; Henry said so. 

2. John did not say you bought that book; he torote it. 



82 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. John did not say you bought that book; but that your sister 
bought it. 

4. John did not say you bought that book; but that you found it. 

5. John did not say you bought that book; but this book. 

6. John did not say you bought that book; it was your slate. 

7. John did not say you bought that book; he said nothing. 

2. Emphasis is effected by a change of quality, force, 
stress, pitch, sliding, waves, movement or quantity or by 
lengthening the pauses. Usually two or more of these elements 
are employed to produce the required emphasis. 

3. Perfect command of every variety of emphasis depends 
upon an accurate perception of the sentiment and its relation to 
and connection with every other thought with which it is asso- 
ciated, and skill in the control of all the elements of vocal 
expression previously explained. 

4. The most common method of applying emphasis is by 
an increase of force, but that is by no means the only method. 
Pupils should guard against its use where it would not be. indi- 
cated by the sentiment. Many instructors teach their pupils 
that " Emphasis is an increase of force." It is not always an 
increase of force. The etymology of the word signifies " to 
show," "to indicate;" and emphasis may be shown by diminish- 
ing the force as well as by increasing it. It may be shown by 
raising or lowering the pitch, and by accelerating or retarding 
the movement. 

GENERAL LAWS GOVERNING EMPHASIS. 

1. The subject, predicate and object in sentences much 
involved usually receive slight emphasis; as, 

Maud Mutter, on a summer's day, 
Raked the meadow sweet with hay. 

2. All words introducing new ideas are moderately em- 
phasized; as, 

" He mounted into literature from the moment that he fell." 



MODULATION. 83 

3. Words expressing contrasts or antithesis are emphatic; 
as, 

The sweetest pleasure is that of imparting pleasure. 
The noblest mind the best contentment has. 
Love lights more fires than hate extinguishes. 

4. All words which seem to contain the principal ideas of 
the thought should be indicated by emphasis; as, 

" The clear conception, outrunning the deductions of logic, the high 
purpose, the firm resolve, the dauntless spirit, speaking on the tongue, 
beaming from the eye, informing every feature, and urging the whole man 
onward, right onward to his object — this, this is eloquence; or rather, it is 
something greater and higher than all eloquence — it is action, noble, sub- 
lime, godlike action." 

5. In repetition each succeeding word receives greater 
force than the word preceding; as, 

Strike — till the last armed foe expires; 
Strike — for your altars and your fires; 
STRIKE — for the green graves of your sires; 
God and your native land. 

Note.— This rule applies also to cumulative emphasis; as, 

Forward, the Light Brigade ! 
CHARGE FOR GUNS! 

6. The intensity of absorbing emotions is best shown by 
emphasis effected by pauses; as, 

" He shudders — gasps — Jove help him— so, — he's dead! " 

7. Words of exclamation usually require the strongest 
emphasis; as, 

"Hence! horrible shadow! 
Unreal mockery, hence! 

Note.— Even wheD one member of the autithesis is omitted the expressed 
member is made emphatic; as, 

" An attentive student would not make such blunders." 



84 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

EXERCISES IN EMPHASIS. 

Quality:— 

I hate him for he is a Christian. (Guttural.) 

Give rue liberty or give me death! (Aspirate.) 

Quoth the raven, " Nevermore" (Pectoral.) 

And the sisters, they murmured, " Of Shame! " (Falsetto.) 

Force: — 

I repeat it, sir, the charge is false. (Increase.) 
But on the way it burst, it fell; and lo! 
A skeleton! (A decrease of force.) 

Stress: — 

Back to the punishment, false fugitive. (Radical.) 

Softly sleep and breathe the odors sweet. (Median.) 

Fret till your proud heart break. (Final.) 

Must I budget Must i" observe you ? (Compound.) 

Charge for the guns ! Charge! (Thorough.) 

May God forgive me: I have been to blame. (Intermittent.) 

Pitch:— 

" It snows! " cries the school boy. "Hurrah! " and his shout 
Is ringing through parlor and hall. (Raising of pitch.) 
Read on her urn, " A broken hearty 
This tells her tale. (Lowering of Pitch.) 

Movement : — 

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you — trippingly 

on the tongue. (Fast.) 
There on a snow-white couch, 
Lay his two sons, pale, pale and motionless. (Slow.) 

Pause: — 

The old, old fashion — Death. 

MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES IN EMPHASIS. 

By a proper application of emphasis find the true meaning 
of the following sentences: 

1. Mr. Davis told John to saddle his horse, and John saddled him. 

2. The dog would have died if they hadn't cut off his head. 

3. A fellow in a market town most musical cries razors up and 
down. 



MODULATION. 85 

4. Now, therefore, the said witness (says the said Thomas) is a 
thief. 

5. He had a patient lying at Death's door, 

Some three miles from the town, it might be four. 

6. A man who is in the daily use of ardent spirits, if he doesn't be- 
come a drunkard, is in danger of losing his health and character. 

7. O, fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have 
written of me. 

8. Hang out our banners on the outward wall; 
The cry is still, They come. 

9. A man going to sea, his wife desired the prayers of the congrr 
gation. 



SLUR. 
Sluk is a smooth, rapid, subdued movement of voice over 
certain words, phrases and clauses of less importance than 
others with which they stand associated. 

The object of Slur is to bring out the principal thought of a pas- 
sage as contained in the leading clause by a subdued force and. rapid 
movement over the subordinate, or auxiliary clauses. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Slur is applied to passages expressing contrast, repeti- 
tion, explanation, modifications of persons ^ things, time, place, 
cause, manner and degree, and all parenthetical expressions. 

Note.— Let tlie student place curves around slurred passages in the following- 
selection and read correctly : 



THE WORTH OF ELOQUENCE. 

1. Let us not, gentlemen, undervalue the art of the orator. Of all 
the efforts of the human mind, it is the most astonishing in its nature 
and the most transcendent in its immediate triumphs. The wisdom of 
the philosopher, the eloquence of the historian, the sagacity of the 
statesman, the capacity of the general, may produce more lasting effects 
upon human affairs, but they are incomparably less rapid in their influ 
ence and less intoxicating from the ascendancy they C3nfer. 



86 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

2. In the solitude of his library, the sage meditates on the truths 
which are to influence the thoughts and direct the conduct of men in 
future times; amid the strife of faction, the legislator discerns the meas- 
ures calculated, after a long course of years, to alleviate existing evils or 
produce happiness yet unborn; during long and wearisome campaigns, 
the commander throws his shield over the fortunes of his country, and 
prepares, in silence and amid obloquy, the means of maintaining its 
independence. But the triumphs of the orator are immediate; his influ- 
ence is instantly felt; his, and his alone, it is, 

" The applause of listening senates to command, 
The threats of pain and ruin to despise, 
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land, 
And read his history in a nation's eyes." 

3. " I can conceive," says Cicero, " of no accomplishment more to 
be desired than to be able to captivate the affections, charm the under- 
standing, and direct or restrain, at pleasure, the will of whole assem- 
blies." This single art, amongst every free people, has commanded 
every encouragement and been attended with the most surprising effects; 
for what can be more astonishing than that from an immense multitude 
one man should come forth, the only, or almost the only, man who can 
do what nature has made attainable by all? Or, can any thing impart to 
the ears and the understanding a pleasure so pure as a discourse which 
at once delights by its elocution, enlists the passions by its rhetoric, and 
carries captive the conviction by its logic? 

4. What triumph more noble and magnificent than that of the 
eloquence of one man swaying the inclinations of the people, the con- 
sciences of judges and the majesty of senates? Nay, farther: can 
aught be esteemed so grand, so generous, so public-spirited, as to relieve 
the suppliant, to raise up the prostrate, to communicate happiness, to 
avert danger, to save a fellow-citizen from exile and wrong? Can aught 
be more desirable than to have always ready those weapons with which 
we can at once defend the weak, assail the profligate, and redress our 
own or our country's injuries? 

5. Apart from the utility of this art in the forum, the rostrum, the 
senate, and on the bench, can any thing, in retirement from business, be 
more delightful, more socially endearing, than a language and elocution 
agreeable and polished on every subject? For the great characteristic 
of our nature, that which distinguishes us from brutes, is our capacity of 
social intercourse, our ability to convey our ideas by words. Ought it 
not, then, to be pre-eminently our study to excel mankind in that very 
faculty which constitutes their superiority over brutes? 



MODULATION. 87 

6. Upon the eloquence and spirit of an accomplished orator may 
often depend, not only his own dignity, but the welfare of a government; 
nay, of a people. Go on, then, ye who would attain this inestimable art. 
Ply the study you have in hand, pursue it with singleness of purpose, at 
once for your own honor, for the advantage of your friends, and for 
the service of vour countrv. 



QUALITY OF VOICE. 



The term Quality of Voice is applied to the nature, charac- 
ter, or kind of tone used. 

Quality of voice is wholly independent of force, stress, or pitch. 
Its distinguishing characteristic is the place of reverberation or reso- 
nance. This depends upon the state of mind or physical condition of the 
speaker. Hence, the quality employed becomes a valuable aid in the 
portrayal of thought, sentiment, and emotion. 

Eight qualities of the voice are commonly recognized, namely: 



PURE TONE 


PLAINTIVE GUTTURAL 


NASAL 


OROTUND 


PECTORAL ASPIRATE 
PURE TONE. 


FALSETTO. 



The Pure Tone is a clear, pure, smooth, round, musical 
tone, the reverberations being confined wholly within the mouth. 

In its production, all the breath employed is converted into 
tone free from aspiration and harshness. 

The Pure Tone is illustrated in nature by the joyous songs 
of birds and the merry ringing laugh and gleeful tones of child- 
hood. 

DIRECTIONS FOR SECURING PURE TONE. 

Shape the mouth and lips in such a manner as to form the 
sound of oo in ooze, the tongue lying low and concave upper- 
most so as to form the largest mouth cavity. Utter the sound 
of oo several times with your conversational pitch. 



88 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

To test the purity of tone, while practicing, place the back 
of the hand within three inches of the mouth. If any air is 
felt to strike the hand your tone is not pure. Purse the lips less 
and repeat. 

PURE TONE. 

Exercises: 
eve aim vain heel moan 

ale air here home breathe. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Pure tone is used in the expression of pathos and ten- 
derness, in solemn, serious, tranquil, narrative, didactic, and 
descriptive thought, in calling, and in joy on s and mirthful emo- 
tions. 



THE THREE CHERRY-STONES. 

Narration and Description. 

Narrative and descriptive, appealing to the fancy, senti- 
ment, and imagination. It requires, according to the vivid- 
ness of the thought or scene, great variety of slides, portraying 
the constantly changing picture and development of incident. 
Use a pure tone and conversational style. 

1. Three young gentlemen, who had finished the most substantial 
part of their repast, were lingering over their fruit and wine at a tavern 
in London, when a man of middle age, and middle stature, entered the 
public room where they were sitting, seated himself at one end of a 
small unoccupied table and, calling the waiter, ordered a simple mutton 
chop and a glass of ale. 

2. His appearance, at first view, was not likely to arrest the atten- 
tion of any one. His hair was beginning to be thin and gray; the expres- 
sion of his countenance was sedate, with a slight touch of perhaps, mel- 
ancholy; and he wore a gray surtout with a standing collar, which mani- 
festly had seen service, if the wearer had not, — just such a thing as an 
officer would bestow upon his serving man. He might be taken, plausi- 



MODULATION. 89 

bly enough, for a country magistrate, or an attorney of limited practice, 
or a school-master. 

3. He continued to masticate his chop and sip his ale in silence, 
without lifting his eyes from the table, until a cherry-stone, sportively 
snapped from the thumb and finger of one of the gentlemen at the 
opposite table, struck him upon his right ear. His eye was instantly 
upon the aggressor, and his ready intelligence gathered from the ill- 
suppressed merriment of the party that this petty impertinence was 
intentional. 

4. The stranger stooped, and picked up the cherry-stone, and a 
scarcely perceptible smile passed over his features as he carefully wrap- 
ped it up in a piece of paper, and placed it in his pocket. This singular 
procedure, with their preconceived impressions of their customer, some- 
what elevated as the young gentlemen were by the wine they had par- 
taken of, capsized their gravity entirely, and a burst of irresistible 
laughter proceeded from the group. 

5. Unmoved by this rudeness, the stranger continued to finish his 
frugal repast in quiet, until another cherry-stone, from the same hand, 
struck him upon the right elbow. This also, to the infinite amusement 
of the other party, he picked from the floor, and carefully deposited 
with the first. 

6. Amidst shouts of laughter, a third cherry-stone was soon after 
discharged, which hit him upon the left breast. This also he very delib- 
erately took from the floor, and deposited with the other two. 

7. As he rose, and was engaged in paying for his repast, the gaiety 
of these sporting gentlemen became slightly subdued. It was not easy 
to account for this. Lavater would not have been able to detect the 
slightest evidence of irritation or resentment upon the features of the 
stranger. He seemed a little taller, to be sure, and the carriage of his 
head might have appeared to them rather more erect. He walked to the 
table at which they were sitting, and, with that air of dignified calmness 
which is a thousand times more terrible than wrath, drew a card from 
his pocket, and presented it with perfect civility to the offender, who 
could do no less than offer his own in return. 

8. While the stranger unclosed his surtout, to take the card from 
his pocket, they had a glance at the undress coat of a military man. 
The card disclosed his rank, and a brief inquiry at the bar was sufficient 
for the rest. He was a captain whom ill health and long service had 
entitled to half-pay. In earlier life he had been engaged in several 
affairs of honor, and, in the dialect of the fancy, was a dead shot. 

9. The next morning a note arrived at the aggressor's residence, 



90 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

containing a challenge, in form, and one of the cherry-stones. The truth 
then flashed before the challenged party, — it was the challenger's inten- 
tion to make three bites at this cherry, three separate affairs out of this 
unwarrantable frolic! The challenge was accepted, and the challenged 
party, in deference to the challenger's reputed skill with the pistol, had 
half decided upon the small sword; but his friends, who were on the 
alert, soon discovered that the captain, who had risen by his merit, had, 
in the earlier days of his necessity, gained his bread as an accomplished 
instructor in the use of that weapon. 

10. They met, and fired alternately, by lot; the young man had 
selected this mode, thinking he might win the first fire. He did — fired, 
and missed his opponent. The captain leveled his pistol and fired — the 
ball passed through the flap of the right ear, and grazed the bone; and, 
as the wounded man involuntarily put his hand to the place, he remem- 
bered that it was on the right ear of his antagonist that the cherry-stone 
had fallen. Here ended the first lesson. A month had passed. His 
friends cherished the hope that he would hear nothing more from the 
captain, when another note — a challenge of course — and another of those 
ominous cherry-stones arrived, with the captain's apology, on the score 
of ill-health, for not sending it before. 

11. Again they met — fired simultaneously, and the captain, who 
was unhurt, shattered the right elbow of his antagonist, — the very point 
upon which he had been struck with the cherry-stone; and here ended 
the second lesson. There was something awfully impressive in the modus 
operandi, and exquisite skill of his antagonist. The third cherry-stone 
was still in his possession, and the aggressor had not forgotten that it 
had struck the unoffending gentleman upon the left breast. A month 
had passed — another — and another, of terrible suspense; but nothing 
was heard from the captain. Intelligence had been received that he was 
confined to his lodging by illness. 

12. At length the gentleman who had been his second in the former 
duels once more presented himself, and tendered another note, which, as 
the recipient perceived on taking it, contained the last of the cherry- 
stones. The note was superscribed in the captain's well-known hand, 
but it was the writing evidently of one who wrote feebly. There was an 
unusual solemnity also in the manner of him who delivered it. The 
seal was broken, and there was the cherry-stone in a blank envelope. 

" And what, sir, am I to understand by this? " inquired the ag- 
gressor. 

"You will understand, sir, that my friend forgives you — he is 
dead!" 



MODULATION. 91 

GOD'S BEAUTIFUL CITY. 

B. F. TAYLOR. 

Solemnity. 

Solemnity requires nearly the same elements of expression 
as Pathos, with lower pitch and slower movement of voice — 
the greater the solemnity the lower the pitch and the slower 
the movement. Let the waves be full and impressive, the 
quality pure and round and free from affectations. God's 
Beautiful City is very suitable for a closing piece. 

1. Far, far away, amid realms of light, 
Hid deep in the azure beyond our sight, 
Stands a beautiful city so high and bright, 
Where is known no sorrow, nor death nor night. 

Beautiful City! 
Oh, blest abode, oh, home of God! 
Whose streets by the feet of the sinless are trod. 

2. They roam through the gardens of endless spring, 
They crowd ail thy portals, on rushing wing, 
While the echoing domes of the palace riDg 
With the hymns of the angels that shout and sing. 

Beautiful City! 
Hark! hark again! the angelic strain, 
As gleams through the crystal, that burnished train. 

3. There the life-fires brighten, and burn, and roll, 
O'er diamonds that sparkle o'er sands of gold, 
Where to breathe the sweet air yields a bliss untold, 
And the dwellers immortal shall never grow old. 
We pierce the skies with longing eyes, 

And yearn to inherit the golden prize. 

4. It is said that the King, in his power sublime, 
When the last sands drop from the glass of time, 
And our world shall be robed in its Eden prime, 
Will bring down that city to gladden earth's clime. 

Beautiful City! 
Bright capital where saints shall dwell, 
And reis;n on the thrcne with Immanuel. 



92 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

5. I have heard in that city they wait for me; 
That its gates stand open wide and free; 
That the ransomed the King in his beauty may see, 
And live in his presence eternally. 

O, Beautiful City! 
In royal state blest mansions wait, 
And beckon us on through the pearly gate. 



A HAPPY YOUNG GIRL, 

EUGENE J. HALL. 



Gay, joyous and mirthful emotions arise from any unusual 
mental or physical exaltation, and their effective delivery 
requires great vocal flexibility, as varied pitch, force and move- 
ment and the skillful use of slides and waves. 

1. I wonder if, under the beautiful sky, 

There's a good looking girl that is gladder than I? 
I'm merry, for Jerry has promised for life 
To take me and make me his fond little wife. 

He called me his honey, 

O, wasn't it funny, 
My face in my apron I bashfully hid. 

I said I was willing, 

I didn't look chilling, 
And Jerry looked tickled to pieces, he did! 

I'm happy, ha! ha! 

I'm tickled, he! he! 
There's nobody living more merry than me. 
I wonder if, under the beautiful sky, 
There's a good looking girl that is gladder than I? 

2. Up nigher the fire the sofa we drew, 

And we talked of the future as true lovers do. 
'Twas splendid; he tended the bright fire for me 
Till the awful old clock in the corner struck three. 

Nobody was stirring, 

The old cat was purring, 



MODULATION. 93 

The curtain was down and the keyholes were closed; 
And, somehow, he kissed ine, 
He could not resist me, 
And that's how it happened that Jerry proposed. 
I'm happy, ha! ha! 
I'm tickled, he! he! 
There's nobody living more merry than me. 
I wonder if, under the beautiful sky, 
There's a good looking girl that is gladder than I? 



TO-DAY, 

CARPENTER. 

The expression of didactic thought is addressed to the judg- 
ment and reason through the intellect; and while fewer vocal 
embellishments are required than in description and narration, 
the logical connection of terms arid accuracy of statement 
demand the utmost precision of utterance and purity of tone. 
Deliver with sincere earnestness. 

1. Don't tell me of to-morrow; 

Give me the man who'll say, 
That, when a good deed's to be done, 

"Let's do the deed to-day" 
We may all command the present, 

If we act and never wait; 
But repentance is the phantom 

Of a past that comes too late! 

2. Don't tell me of to-morrow; 

There is much to do to-day 
That can never be accomplished 

If we throw the hours away; 
Every moment has its duty; 

Who the future can foretell? 
Why put off until to-morrow 

What to-day can do as well? 



94 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. Don't tell me of to-morrow; 

If we look upon the past, 
How much that we have left to do 

We cannot do at last! 
To-day it is the only time 

For all upon the earth; 
It takes an age to form a life — 

A moment gives it birth ! 



DEATH OF LITTLE PAUL. 

CHARLES DICKENS. 



Pathos is designed to awaken in the hearer emotions of 
sympathy for the person or object represented. The requirements 
are a clear conception of the conditions described, genuine sym- 
pathy, purity of tone, and effusive utterance of the particularly 
expressive words. The slides and waves rarely reach the note 
of a third. The rising slide prevails in the more intensely 
pathetic parts. Avoid anything like " show" — be natural. 

1. Little Dombey had never risen from his little bed. He lay 
there, listening to the noises in the street, quite tranquilly; not caring 
much how the time went, but watching it and watching everything. 

2. "When the sunbeams struck into his room through the rustling 
blinds, and quivered on the opposite wall, like golden water, he knew 
that evening was coming on, and that the sky was red and beautiful. As 
the reflection died away, and a gloom went creeping up the wall, he 
watched it deepen, deepen, deepen into night. Then he thought how 
the long unseen streets were dotted with lamps, and how the peaceful 
stars were shining overhead. His fancy had a strange tendency to wander 
to the river, which he knew was flowing through the great city; and now 
he thought how black it was, and how deep it would look reflecting the 



sea. 



3. "Floy! What is that?" 
"Where, dearest?" 
" There! at the bottom of the bed." 
" There's nothing there, except papa 



i » 



MODULATION. 95 

The figure lifted up its head and rose, and, coming to the bedside, 
said: 

4. " My own boy! Don't you know me? " 

Paul looked it in the face. Before he could reach out both his 
hands to take it between them and draw it towards him, the figure turned 
away quickly from the little bed, and went out at the door. 

The next time he observed the figure sitting at the bottom of the 
bed, he called to it. 

" Don't be so sorry for me, dear papa. Indeed, I am quite happy! " 

5. His father coming and bending down to him, he held him round 
the neck, and repeated these words to him several times, and very 
earnestly; and he never saw his father in his room again at any time, 
whether it were day or night, but he called out, " Don't be so sorry for 
me! Indeed, I am quite happy!" 

6. How many times the golden water danced upon the wall, how 
many nights the dark river rolled towards the sea in spite of him, Paul 
never sought to know. 

7. One night he had been thinking of his mother and her picture 
in the drawing room down stairs. The train of thought suggested to him 
to inquire if he had ever seen his mother. For he could not remember 
whether they had told him yes or no, the river running very fast, and 
confusing his mind. 

8. " Floy, did I ever see mamma? " 
"No, darling; why?" 

" Did I never see any kind face, like a mamma's, looking at me 
when I was a baby, Floy? " 
"O yes, dear!" 
" Whose, Floy ? " 
" Your old nurse's. Often." 

9. "And where is my old nurse? Show me that old nurse, Floy, 
if you please!" 

"She is not here, darling. She shall come to-morrow." 
"Thank you, Floy!" 

10. Little Dombey closed his eyes with these words, and fell asleep. 
When he awoke the sun was high, and the broad day was clear and 
warm. Then he awoke, — woke mind and body, — and sat upright in his 
bed. He saw them now about him. There was no gray mist before 
them, as there had been sometimes in the night. He knew them every 
one, and called them by their names. 

11. " And who is this? Is this my old nurse ! " asked the child, re- 
garding, with a radiant smile, a figure coming in. 



96 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Yes, yes. No other stranger would have shed those tears at sight of 
him, and called him her dear boy, her pretty boy, her own poor blighted 
child. No other woman would have stooped down by his bed, and taken 
up his wasted hand, and put it to her lips and breast, as one who had 
some right to fondle it. No other woman would have so forgotten every- 
body there but him and Floy, and been so full of tenderness and pity. 

12. "Floy! this is a kind, good face! I am glad to see it again. 
Don't go away, old nurse. Stay here! Good by ! " 

"Good by, my child?" cried Mrs. Pipchin, hurrying to his bed's 
head. "Not good by?" 

" Ah, yes! Good by! — Where is papa? " 

13. His father's breath was on his cheek before the words had 
parted from his lips. The feeble hand waved in the air, as if it cried 
"Good by!" again. 

"Now lay me down; and, Floy, come close to me, and let me see you." 

14. Sister and brother wound their arms around each other, and 
the golden light came streaming in, and fell upon them, locked together. 

" How fast the river runs, between its green banks and the rushes, 
Floy! But, it's very near the sea now. I hear the waves! They always 
said so!" 

15. Presently he told her that the motion of the boat upon the 
stream was lulling him to rest. Now the boat was out at sea. And now 
there was a shore before him. Who stood on the bank! — 

16. "Mamma is like you, Floy. I know her by the face! " 

The golden ripple on the wall came back again, and nothing else 
stirred in the room. The old, old fashion! The fashion that came in 
with our first garments, and will last unchanged unt 1 our race has run 
its course, and the wide firmament is rolled up like a scroll. The old, 
old fashion, — Death. 

17. Oh, thank God, all who see it, for that older fashion yet, of 
Immortality! And look upon us, angels of young children, with re- 
gards not quite estranged, when the swift river bears us to the ocean. 

OROTUND QUALITY. 

The Orotund is the Pure Tone deepened and intensified to 
its utmost magnitude, with the resonance in the chest. 

The Orotund is so called in allusion to its roundness and fullness of 
tone. It is the voice of grandeur, emanating from the loftiest emotions 
which animate the soul. It is esteemed the highest perfection of human 



MODULATION. 



91 



utterance, and, while naturally possessed by few, it may be cultivated by 
all. Both the Orotund and Pure Tone should possess mellowness, sweet- 
ness, sympathy, attractiveness, smoothness and penetrating power. 

DIRECTIONS FOB ACQUIRING OROTUND QUALITY. 

Stand erect, depress and enlarge the larynx as if trying to swallow 
some large object. Prolong the sound of a in awe, using medium low 
pitch. Hold the organs firmly as directed, but avoid any constriction of 
the muscles about the throat and neck. 

Note.— The student is cautioned against attempting the grand, swelling oro- 
tund in the opening parts of declamations and orations. 

Modes of Utterance. — The Orotund may be uttered effusively, expul- 
sively or explosively. 

EXERCISES: 







Effusive Orotund. 






awe 


home 


roll 


ah 


arm 


old 


ooze 


thou 


soul 


all 


rain 


shore 


child 


grand 


borne 


1. Roll 


on, old Ocea 


n gray! 






2. Thy 


chains the unmeasured universe surround! 








Expulsive Orotund. 






hail 


heart 


hand 


time 


earth 


brave 


blood 


cause 


stain 


shame 


war 


roar 


joy 


storm 


stand 




1. Our faith is in God and the 


right. 








Explosive Orotund. 






shriek 


clang 


clash 


mock 


down 


day 


struck 


base 


out 


hence 


men 


rouse 


die 


torn 


lash 




1. Back, ruffians, back! nor dare to tread 





LAW OF USE. 

The Orotund quality is employed in the expression of 
emotions of grandeur, sublimit}/, reverence, adoration, devotion, 
awe; in earnest, bold, grand, and lofty thought; in abrupt and 
startling emotions of daring, teaming, courage, inspiration and 
in the fierce outbursts of passion. 



98 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

APOSTROPHE TO THE OCEAN. 

LORD BYRON. 

Effusive Orotund. 

The rendition of the more profound emotions of grandeur, 
sublimity, reverence, adoration and awe demands a full, deep, 
sonorous, effusive orotund, with long quantity, low pitch and 
slow movement, free from all impurity of tone and abrupt slides 
and waves. 

The following poem will furnish an excellent exercise for 
cultivating the deep and flowing orotund: 

1. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll! 

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; 
Man marks the earth with ruin; his control 

Stops with the shore; upon the watery plain 
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain 

A shadow of man's ravage, save his own, 
When, for a moment, like a drop of rain, 

He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, 
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined and unknown. 

2. The armaments which thunderstrike the walls 

Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake. 
And monarchs tremble in their capitols, 

The oak leviathans whose huge ribs make, 
Their clay creator the vain title take 

Of lord of thee, and arbiter of war; — 
These are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake, 

They melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar 
Alike the Armada's pride or spoils of Trafalgar. 

3. Thy shores are empires, changed in all save thee; 

Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they? 
Thy waters wasted them while they were free, 

And many a tyrant since; their shores obey 
The stranger, slave or savage; their decay 

Has dried up realms to deserts; not so thou, 
Unchangeable, save to thy wild waves' play; 

Time writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow; 
Such as creation's dawn beheld, thou rollest now. 



MODULATION. 99 

4. Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form 

Glasses itself in tempests; in all time, 
Calm or convulsed — in breeze, or gale, or storm- 
Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime 
Dark-heaving; boundless, endless and sublime — 

The image of eternity — the throne 
Of the invisible; even from out thy slime 
The monsters of the deep are made; each zone 
Obeys thee; thou goest forth, dread, fathomless, alone! 

5. And I have loved thee, Ocean! and my joy 

Of youthful sports was on thy breast to be 
Borne, like thy bubbles, onward; from a boy 

I wantoned with thy breakers; they to me 
Were a delight; and if the freshening sea 

Made them a terror, 'twas a pleasing fear 
For I was, as it were, a child of thee, 

And trusted to thy billows far and near, 
And laid my hand upon thy main, as I do here. 

For additional practice in Effusive Orotund study the fourth 
stanza of "The Bells," "Break, Break, Break." 



THE NATIONAL BANNER. 

EDWAED EVERETT. 

Expulsive Orotund. 

The expression of earnest, bold, grand, and elevated 
thought, termed oratorical style, requires a strong expulsive 
orotund, with full force and deliberate movement. To effect- 
ively produce the vigorous, compact tones required in the ora- 
torical style of delivery, strike each important word with an 
energetic expulsion of air. This is accomplished by a vigorous 
inward and upward action of the abdominal muscles. This 
selection is well adapted for securing that fullness of volume 



100 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

peculiar to the orotund. Much time may profitably be given to 
the drill. 

1. All hail to our glorious ensign! courage to the heart and strength 
to the hand, to which, in all time, it shall be intrusted! May it ever wave 
in honor, in unsullied glory, and patriotic hope on the dome of the capi- 
tol, on the country's stronghold, on the entented plain, on the wave-rocked 
topmast. 

2. Wherever, on the earth's surface, the eye of the American shall 
behold it, may he have reason to bless it! On whatsoever spot it is 
planted, there may freedom have a foothold, humanity a brave champion, 
and religion an altar! Though stained with blood in a righteous cause 
may it never in any cause be stained with shame! 

3. Alike, when its gorgeous folds shall wanton in lazy holiday 
triumphs on the summer breeze, and its tattered fragments be dimly 
seen through the clouds of war, may it be the joy and pride of the 
American heart! First raised in the cause of right and liberty, in that 
cause alone may it forever spread out its streaming blazonry to the battle 
and the storm! Having been borne victoriously across the continent and 
on every sea, may virtue and freedom and peace forever follow where it 
leads the way! 

For additional examples read "Ambition of a Statesman," 
" Spartacus to the Gladiators," "Apostrophe to the English 
Language," "Brutus on the Death of Cresar. " 



MARMION AND DOUGLAS, 

SIR WALTER SCOTT. 

Explosive Orotund. 

The delivery of all startling emotions of hurry, fear, terror, 
indignation, defiance requires the explosive orotund with full 
force and high and very high pitch. Let the tones be sharp, 
ringing, clear and incisive. In the following selection only the 



MODULATION. 101 

impassioned speeches of Marmion and Douglas are uttered with 
explosive orotund. 

1. Not far advanced was morning day, 
When Marmion did his troop array, 

To Surrey's camp to ride; 
He had safe conduct for his band, 
Beneath the royal seal and hand, 

And Douglas gave a guide. 

2. The train from out the castle drew, 
But Marmion stopped to bid adieu: 

" Though something I might 'plain," he said, 
" Of cold respect to stranger guest, 
Sent hither by the king's behest, 
"While in Tantallon's towers I staid, 
Part we in friendship from your land, 
And, noble Earl, receive my hand." 
But Douglas round him drew his cloak, 
Folded his arms, and thus he spoke: 

" My manors, halls, and towers shall still 
Be open, at my sovereign's will, 
To each one whom he lists, howe'er 
Unmeet to be the owner's peer. 
My castles are my king's alone, 
From turret to foundation stone; 
The hand of Douglas is his own; 
And never shall, in friendly grasp, 
The hand of such as Marmion clasp." 

3. Burned Marmion's swarthy cheek like fire,, 
And shook his very frame for ire; 

And " This to me," he said, 
" An 't were not for thy hoary beard, 
Such hand as Marmion's had not spared 

To cleave the Douglas' head! 
And, first I tell thee, haughty peer, 
He, who does England's message here, 
Although the meanest in her state, 
May well, proud Angus, be thy mate: 
And, Douglas, more, I tell thee here, 



102 KATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

E'en in thy pitch of pride, 
Here, in thy hold, thy vassals near, 

I tell thee, thou'rt defied! 
And if thou said'st, I am not peer 
To any lord in Scotland here, 
Lowland or Highland, far or near, 

Lord Angus, thou — hast — lied! " 

4. On the Earl's cheek, the flush of rage 
O'ercame the ashen hue of age : 

Fierce he broke forth; "And dar'st thou then 
To beard the lion in his den, 

The Douglas in his hall? 
And hopest thou thence unscathed to go? 
No, by Saint Bride of Bothwell, no! 
Up draw-bridge, grooms, — what, warder, ho! 

Let the portcullis fall." 
Lord Marmion turned, — well was his need, — 
And dashed the rowels in his steed, 
Like arrow through the archway sprung; 
The ponderous gate behind him rung. 
To pass there was such scanty room, 
The bars, descending, grazed his plume. 

5. The steed along the draw-bridge flies, 
Just as it trembled on the rise; 

Not lighter does the swallow skim 
Along the smooth lake's level brim; 
And when Lord Marmion reached his band 
He halts, and turns with clinched hand, 
And shout of loud defiance pours, 
And shook his gauntlet at the towers. 

For additional practice in Explosive Orotund study the 
seventh and tenth stanzas of "Revolutionary Rising" and the 
fourth stanza of "An American Exile." 

PLAINTIVE QUALITY. 

The Plaintive, sometimes termed the semi-tone, or oral, is 
that quality of voice whose tones, sliding through a semi-tone 



MODULATION. 103 

or minor third, are uttered in a feeble, trembling tone, with the 
resonance in the forward part of the mouth. 

In the production of this quality the organs seem to labor under 
a painful effort; and, though it sometimes expresses the most exalted 
emotions, the weakness of the vocal organs or intensity of emotional 
sympathy prevents the conversion of all the breath used into tone, and 
the quality is therefore impure. 

DIRECTIONS FOR SECURING THE PLAINTIVE QUALITY. 

Draw in the cheeks so as to reduce the size of the reso- 
nance chamber of the mouth, gently compress the lips, and pro- 
long the sound of long o, in high pitch, with subdued force. 
This will give you the quality, when you can reproduce it in 
the exercises following. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Plaintive Quality is used wdth various degrees of force 
to express tenderness, sympathy, pathos, sadness, acute pain, 
feebleness of old age, grief, entreaty, complaint, exhaustion, 
languor and affectation. 

Caution.— The student is cautioned against using this quality in any case 
except where it may be proper. It should be used with discretion even where indi- 
cated, as its excessive use is apt to run i;.to a disagreeable whine, exciting ridicule 
instead of pity. 

EXERCISES. 

ah head pray old wait you 

dead storm mine fair tomb name 

1. Ah, how we loved her, God can tell. 

2. Oh! tell me, is this death! 

3. Give your children food, O Father! 

4. Oh, I could weep my spirit from mine e} r es! 

5. O death, wilt thou never come? 

6. I have no pain, dear mother, now. 



104 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

GIVE ME THREE GRAINS OF CORN, MOTHER. 

MISS EDWARDS. 

Begin with gentle, but earnest, pleading tones, and grad- 
ually merge into a tremulous, agitated stress until the last 
stanza, when approaching death requires a struggling, labored 
utterance, but with sufficient distinctness to render the words 
intelligible. This is an excellent piece for practice in the plaint- 
ive tones. 

1. Give rne three grains of corn, mother, 

Only three grains of corn; 
It will keep the little life I have, 

Till the coming of the morn. 
I am dying of hunger and cold, mother, 

Dying of hunger and cold, 
And half the agony of such a death 

My lips have never told. 

2. It has gnawed like a wolf, at my heart, mother, 

A wolf that is fierce for blood, — 
All the livelong day, and the night beside, 

Gnawing for lack of food. 
I dreamed of bread in my sleep, mother, 

And the sight was heaven to see; 
I awoke with an eager, famishing lip, 

But you had no bread for me. 

3. How could I look to you, mother, 

For bread to give to your starving boy, 

When you were starving too? 
For I read the famine in your cheek, 

And in your eye so wild, 
And I felt it in your bony hand 

As you laid it on your child. 

4. Come nearer to my side, mother, 
ind hold me fondly as you held 

My father when he died; 



MODULATION. 105 

Quick, for I cannot see you, mother, 

My breath is almost gone; 
Mother! dear mother! ere I die, 

Give me three grains of corn. 

An excellent selection for additional practice in the prac- 
tice of the Plaintive is "The Dying Boy." 

PECTORAL QUALITY. 

The Pectoral is a rough, harsh, hollow tone, with the res- 
onance in the chest. 

1. The Pectoral is low in pitch and usually slow in movement. It 
arises from a debilitated or relaxed condition of the vocal cords and a 
feeble action of the respiratory muscles. 

2. It is exhibited in persons of little physical or mental energy and 
in those addicted to dissipation and intemperance. 

DIRECTIONS FOR PRODUCING THE PECTORAL. 

Relax the muscles about the throat and waist. Give the 
sound of long o with low pitch, feeble voice and the utmost re- 
laxation of all the vocal organs. Let the tone be hollow and 
husky, somewhat resembling the groan. 

EXERCISES : 

ah oh home voice more grave 

die fall to-day pride heart vain 

1. Oh, the long and dreary winter! 

2. My dream was lengthened after life. 

3. Now o'er the one-half world nature seems dead. 

4. Hear the tolling of the bells — iron bells. 

5. Oh, I have passed a miserable night! 

LAW OF USE. 

The Pectoral quality is used to express dread, sorrow, 
gloom, despair, grief, deep solemnity mingled with awe, remorse, 



106 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

horror, settled hatred, malice, and in the representation of the 
supernatural. 

The Pectoral is usually formed effusively, but the speaker 
inflamed by the maligant passions frequently employs the ex- 
pulsive mode of utterance. 



DAVID'S LAMENT FOR ABSALOM. 

N. P. WILLIS. 

The following poem furnishes a valuable drill for the 
expression of deep feeling. Be careful to enter into the senti- 
ment before attempting its portrayal. Avoid permitting the 
tones to anticipate the feeling. You must experience the 
emotion first— its expression is then possible. 

1. Alas! my noble boy, that thou shouldst die! 

Thou, who wert made so beautifully fair! 
That death should settle in thy glorious eye, 

And leave his stillness in this clustering hair! 
How could he mark thee for the silent tomb, 
My proud boy, Absalom! 

2. Cold is thy brow, my son, and I am chill, 

As to my bosom I have tried to press thee. 
How was I wont to feel my pulses thrill, 

Like a rich harp string, yearning to caress thee, 
And hear thy sweet i my father'* from these dumb 
And cold lips, Absalom! 

3. The grave hath won thee. I shall hear the gush 

Of music, and the voices of the young, 
And life will pass me in its mantling blush, 

And the dark tresses to the soft winds flung, 
But thou no more, with thy sweet voice, shalt come 



MODULATION. 10 7 

4. And, O! when I am stricken, and my heart, 

Like a bruised reed, is waiting to be broken, 
How will its love for thee, as I depart, 

Yearn for thine ear to drink its last deep tokenl 
It were so sweet, amid death's gathering gloom, 
To see thee, Absalom! 

5. And now, farewell! ' Tis hard to give thee up, 

With death, so like a gentle slumber, on thee; 
And thy dark sin! O! I could drink the cup, 

If from this woe its bitterness had won thee. 
3Iay God have called thee, like a wanderer home, 
My erring Absalom! 

For other illustrations of Pectoral quality, see ••Death Bed 
of Benedict Arnold, " " The Miser's Death " and the fifth, and 
seventh stanzas of " She Would be 'a Mason." 



GUTTURAL QUALITY. 

The Guttural (from guttur, throat) isa,rough, harsh, grat- 
ing, rasping, discordant sound, produced by a rigid compression 
of the muscles of the neck and a partial closing of the throat 
above the glottis, with the resonance in the throat. The qual- 
ity resembles the growling utterances of the lower animals. 

1. The Guttural originates from an agitation of the most intense 
and malignant passions. The sound is cut off from communication with 
the chest by an obstructed throat, as in a person suffering from intense 
rage. The sound issues apparently from the pharynx, or swallow, instead 
of the larynx. 

2. The Guttural quality, in a modified form, is very prevalent 
among persons with large, flaccid, vocal organs anl in the aged. Its use, 
except in the expression of the malignant passions, should be carefully 
avoided. 

3. The practice of this quality is highly beneficial in strengthening 
the muscles of the throat. Its frequent employment by actors and vocal 
teachers protects from many forms of throat disease. Boys and girls 
should practice the guttural moderately at first, discontinuing as soon as 
any unpleasant irritation is felt. 



108 NATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

DIRECTIONS FOR PRODUCING THE GUTTURAL, QUALITY. 

Contract the muscles about the throat and neck and give 
the sound of a in ah, in a harsh, grating tone, as if endeavor- 
ing to clear the throat of an accumulation of phlegm. 



EXERCISES. 

hate rage out howl heart 

mock away die revenge growl 

1. But I defy him, let him come! 

2. I scorn forgiveness, haughty man! 

3. Curses on him! Will not the villain drown! 

4. How like a fawning publican he looks! 

5. I hate him, for he is a Christian! 

LAW OF USE. 

The Guttural quality, with various degrees of force, is used 
to express intense anger, hatred, contempt, disgust, scorn, loath- 
ing, malice and detestation. It may be given by any of the 
three modes of utterance, effusive, expulsive or explosive, 
according: to the sentiment indicated. 



SHYLOCK'S REPLY. 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. 



Antonio, a merchant of Venice, had given a bond to Shy- 
lock, a wealthy Jew, for the payment of three thousand ducats, 
which sum Shylock had loaned to Antonio's friend, Bassanio. 
In default of payment it had been agreed that Shylock might 
claim a pound of flesh to be taken nearest the merchant's heart. 
Through a combination of circumstances Antonio fails to pay 
the bond when due, and the Jew demands the forfeit. Salanio 
endeavors to dissuade Shylock from exacting the penalty by 



MODULATION. 109 

explaining that a pound of human flesh has no marketable value, 
and ventures to ask to what use it can be put. Shylock, almost 
consuming with rage, answers in the following terms. 

This is one of the best exercises in the whole range of 
elocutionary models for strengthening the vocal organs. Give 
it daily attention for a month and mark the effect. 

Use full force and long quantity with great intensity on 
the italicized words. 

Hatred^ Contempt , Detestation. 

Shylock: — To bait fish withal; if it will feed nothing else, it will feed 
my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me of half a million; 
laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my 
bargains, cooled my friends, heated my enemies: and what's his reason? — I 
am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes f hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimen- 
sions, senses, affections, passions ? — fed with the same food, hurt with the 
same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, 
warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If 
you stab us, do we not bleed? — if you tickle us, do we not laugh? — if you 
poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If 
we are like you in the re t, we will resemble you in that. If a Jewwrong 
a Christian, what is his humility? revenge ! If a Christian wrong a Jew, 
what should his sufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge! The 
villainy you teach me, I will execute! and it shall go hard, but I will better 
the instruction. 

Other fine illustrations of Guttural quality are "Vagaries 
of a Madman," "Catiline's Defiance" and "The Seminole's 
Defiance." 

ASPIRATE QUALITY. 

The Aspirate quality is articulated breath, and ranges from 
a mere whisper to the least audible tones of the Plaintive, 
Pectoral and Guttural qualities. 

1. The true Aspirate is unmixed breath, but as the term is com- 
monly used, it is combined with other abnormal qualities to aid their 
intensity of utterance. 



110 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

2. The practice of the Aspirate quality alone and in combination 
with other abnormal qualities, with fall force, is highly beneficial in 
Strengthening the vocal organs. 

3. The daily practice of whispering a page or more of vigorous 
prose or poetry with full force and sufficient d : stinctness to be heard 
across a large room will develop a greater depth and penetration of 
tone than any one exercise in which the student can engage. To secure 
the greatest benefit the articulation must be as nearly perfect as the 
student can command. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Aspirate quality alone and in combination with other 
qualities is used to express secrecy, surprise, impatience, fear, 
caution, remorse, awe, dread, anger, rage, terror, horror, and 
expiring life. 

EXERCISES. 

1. Hist! Down with your heads! 

2. Hush! Silence along the lines! 

3. Not a word, on the peril of your lives! 

4. Hark! I hear a knocking at the outer door! 

5. Angels and ministers of grace defend us! 

6. Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! 

7. Hence, horrible shadow! Vnreal mockery, hence! 



MACBETH'S VISION, 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. 

Act II Scene I 



Macbeth, a powerful lord of Scotland, with a drawn dagger 
is stealthily approaching the chamber of King Duncan, his 
guest for the night, to murder the king, when, seized with fear 
and remorse, he imagines he sees a dagger suspended in the air 
before him. 

Begin with an excited whisper and gradually merge into a 
strongly vocalized aspirate. 



MODULATION. Ill 

Few selections afford better practice in voice building 
than the following. Open the month freely and exaggerate the 
distinctness. 

1. Is this a dagger which I see before me, 

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:— 

I have thee not; and yet I see thee still. 

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible 

To feeling, as to sight ? or art thou but 

A dagger of the mind; a false creation. 

Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? 

I see thee yet, in form as palpable 

As this which now I draw. 

2. Thou marshalVst me the way that I was going; 
And such an instrument I was to use. 

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, 
Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still; 
And on thy blade, and dudgeon, gouts of blood, 
Which teas not so before. — There's no such thing; 
It is the bloody business, which informs 
Thus to mine eyes. 

3. Now o'er the one half world 

Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse 
The curtained sleep; now witchcraft celebrates 
Pale Hecate's offerings; and withered murder, 
Alarumed by his sentinel, the wolf, 
"Whose howl's his watch, thus towards his design 
Moves like a ghost. 

4. Thou sure and firm- set earth, 

Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear 

The very stones prate of my whereabout, 

And take the present horror from the time, 

Which now suits with it. — Whiles I threat, he lives; 

Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. 

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. [A bell rings. 

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell 

That summons thee to heaven, or to hell. 



112 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



NASAL QUALITY. 



The Nasal quality (from nasus, the nose) is a harsh, thin, 
tivangy tone, with the resonance in the nose. 

1. The Nasal is an impure quality, because its production arises 
from some vocal disability, as a cold, or a mal-forination of the organs ol 
speech. 

2. It is not a talking through the nose, as may be shown by the 
reader's clasping his nose with his fingers and attempting to read or 
speak in a pure tone. The quality which follows is the Nasal. 

3. The student will have no occasion to use the Nasal except in 
mimicry or burlesque; but a perfect command of all the qualities requires 
a drill upon this, both for the purpose of personation and avoiding its use 
where improper. 

DIRECTION FOR PRODUCING THE NASAL QUALITY. 

Place the organs in position to pronounce the syllable on 
with high pitch; now depress the lower jaw and prolong the 
syllable ong, retaining the sound so as to cause the reverberation 
to be heard in the back part of the mouth and nose. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Nasal quality is used in the mimicry of nasal speakers 
and in the personation of those suffering from colds. 

EXAMPLE. 

The birds can fly, an' why can't I? 

Must we give in, says he, with a grin, 

To the bluebird an' Phebe as smarter'n we be ? 

Just fold our hands an' see the swaller 

An' blackbird an' catbird beat us holler. 

Does the leetle chattering, sassy Wren, 

No bigger'n my thumb, know more than men? 

Just show me that, 'er prove 't bat 

Hez got more brains than's in my hat, 

An' I'll back down, an' not till then. 

— Darius Green and Ms Flying Machine. 



MODULATION. 113 

THE BEWITCHED CLOCK. 

Use a clear, distinct pure tone in narration. The different 
speakers use the nasal quality. Distinguish the characters by 
difference in pitch and rate. 

1. About half -past eleven o'clock on Sunday night a human leg, 
enveloped in blue broadcloth, might have been seen entering Cephas 
Barberry's kitchen window. The leg was followed finally by the entire 
person of a lively Yankee, attired in his Sunday-go-to-ineetin' clothes. It 
was, in short, Joe Mayweed, who thus burglariously, in the dead of night, 
won his way into the deacon's kitchen. 

2. "Wonder how much tbe old deacon made by orderin' me not to 
darken his door again?" soliloquized the young man. "Promised him 
1 wouldn't, but didn't say nothin' about winders. Winders is just as good 
as doors, if there ain't no nails to tear your trousers onto. Wonder if 
Sal'll come down. The critter promised me. I'm afraid to move here, 
'cause I might break my shins over somethin' or 'nother, and wake the 
old folks. Cold enough to freeze a polar bear here. Oh, here comes 
Sally." 

3. The beautiful maiden descended with a pleasant smile, a tallow 
candle and a box of matches. 

4. After receiving a rapturous greeting, she made a roaring fire in 
the cooking stove, and the happy couple sat down to enjoy the sweet 
interchange of views and hopes. But the course of true love ran no 
smoother in old Barberry's kitchen than it did elsewhere, and Joe, who 
was making up his mind to treat himself to a kiss, was startled by the 
voice of the deacon, her father, shouting from her chamber door: 

5. " Sally, what are you getting up in the middle of the night for?" 
" Tell him it's most mornin' " whispered Joe. 

" I can't tell a fib," said Sally. 

" I'll make it a truth, then," said Joe, and running to the huge old- 
fashioned clock that stood in the corner, he set it at five. 

6. " Look at the clock and tell me what time it is," cried the old 
gentleman up-stairs. 

" It's five by the clock," answered Sally, and corroborating the words 
the clock struck five. 

The lovers sat down again, and resumed the conversation. Sud- 
denly the stair case began to creak. 

" Good gracious! it's father." 

" The deacon, by jingo! " cried Joe; "hide me, Sal! " 



114 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

"Where can I hide you?" cried the distracted girl. 

7. " Oh, I know," said he; " I'll squeeze into the clock case." 
And without another word he concealed himself in the case, and 

drew to the door behind him. 

The deacon was dressed, and seating himself down by the cooking- 
stove pulled out his pipe, lighted it, and commenced smoking very delib- 
erately and calmly. 

8. " Five o'clock, eh?" said he. " Well, I shall have time to smoke 
three or four pipes; then I'll go and feed the critters." 

"Hadn't you better go and feed the critters first sir, and smoke 
afterward? " suggested the dutiful Sally. 

"No; smoking clears my head and wakes me up," answered the 
deacon, who seemed not a whit disposed to hurry his enjoyment. 

9. Bur-r-r-r — whiz — z — ding — ding! went the clock. 

" Tormented lightning! " cried the deacon, starting up and dropping 
his pipe on the stove. "What in creation is that? " 

Whiz! ding! ding! ding! went the old clock furiously. 
" It's only the clock striking five," said Sally tremulously. 

10. "Powers of mercy! "cried the deacon, "striking five! It's 
struck a hundred already." 

" Deacon Barberry!" cried the deacon's better half, who had hastily 
robed herself, and now came plunging down the staircase in the wildest 
state of alarm, "what is the matter of the clock? " 

" Goodness only knows," replied the old man. 

" It's been in the family these hundred years, and never did I know 
it to carry on so before." 

Whiz! bang! bang! bang! went the clock. 

11. "It'll burst itself! " cried the old lady, shedding a flood of tears, 
" and there won't be nothing left of it." 

" It's bewitched," said the deacon, who retained a leaven of New 
England superstition in his nature. "Anyhow," he said, after a pause, 
advancing resolutely toward the clock, " I'll see what's got into it." 

"Oh, don't!" cried the daughter, affectionately, seizing one of his 
coat-tails, while his faithful wife hung to the other. . 

" Don't," chorused both the women together. 

"Let go of my raiment!" shouted the deacon; "I ain't afraid of the 
powers of darkness." 

12. But the women would not let go; so the deacon slipped off nis 
coat, and while, from the sudden cessation of resistance, they fell heavily 
on the floor, he darted forward and laid his hand on the door of the clock- 
case. But no human power could open it. Joe was holding it inside 



MODULATION. 115 

with a death-grasp. The deacon began to be dreadfully frightened. He 
gave one more tug. An unearthly yell, as of a fiend in distress, came 
from the inside, and then the clock case pitched headforemost on the 
floor, smashed its face, and wrecked its proportions, 

13. The current of air extinguished the light; the deacon, the old 
lady and Sally fled upstairs, and Joe Mayweed, extricating himself from 
the clock, effected his retreat in the same way that he had entered. The 
next day all Appleton was alive with the story of how Deacon Barberry's 
clock had been bewitched; and though many believed its version, some, 
and especially Joe Mayweed, affected to discredit the whole affair, hint- 
ing that the deacon had been trying the experiment of tasting frozen 
cider, and that the vagaries of the clock case existed only in a distem- 
pered imagination. 

FALSETTO QUALITY. 

The Falsetto (from fcdsus, false) is a screechy, high, shrill 
tone, pitched above the natural, with the resonance in the head. 
The Falsetto begins where the pure tone breaks, or outruns its 
compass. It is illustrated by the sharp, shrill shriek of the 
owl. 

1. In producing this quality of voice, the veil of the palate is 
raised very high, and the uvula is forced into the veil, becoming com- 
pletely hidden from view. 

2. Some voices, through excitement or irritability, naturally tend 
to run into the Falsetto. This is a serious fault and should be carefully 
avoided. 

DIRECTION FOR PRODUCING THE FALSETTO QUALITY. 

Begin on the sound of long o, with your natural pitch, and, 
without changing the force, raise your pitch till the purity of 
voice breaks, and the quality that follows will be Falsetto. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Falsetto quality, like the Nasal, is used in mimicry, to 
denote excitement, irritability, scolding, invective, mockery, sud- 
den fright, anger, pain, terror, and irritable old age. It is also 
employed in distant calling and in the imitation of faint musical 
bells heard in the distance. 



116 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



EXAMPLES. 



1. " Ho! the starboard watch, ahoy 



t» 



2. A voice fell, like a falling star — 

"Excelsior!" 

3. " Co,' boss ! co\ boss! co\ co\ cd > /" 

4. Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, "dying, dying, dying.'' 

5. The sisters, they murmured " of shame" 
And " she hadn't oughter a let him; 

No doubt she was mostly to blame." 



THE COUNTRY JUSTICE. 



Give narrative parts in Pure Tone. The Justice uses a 
deep Orotund, his wife, the Falsetto. Let the three tones be 
strongly marked, and the effect will be quite ludicrous. 

1. " The snow is deep," the Justice said; 
" There's mighty mischief overhead," 

" High talk, indeed! " his wife exclaimed: 
"What, sir! shall Providence be blamed?" 

The Justice, laughing, said, " Oh, no! 

I only meant the loads of snow 

Upon the roofs. The barn is weak; 

I greatly fear the roof will break. 

So hand me up the spade, my dear — 

I'll mount the barn, the roof to clear." 

2. "No! " said the wife; " the barn is high, 

And if you slip, and fall, and die, 
How will my living be secured? — 
Stephen, your life is not insured. 
But tie a rope your waist around, 
And it will hold you safe and sound." 
" I will," said he. " Now for the roof- 
All snugly tied and danger-proof! 
Excelsior! Excel — But no! 



MODULATION. 117 



The rope is not secured below! " 
Said Rachel, " Climb, the end to throw 
Across the top, and I will go 
And tie that end around my waist." 

3. " Well, every woman to her taste; 

You always would be tightly laced. 
Rachel, when you became my bride, 
I thought the knot securely tied; 
But lest the bond should break in twain, 
I'll have it fastened once again." 

4. Below the arm-pits tied around, 
She takes her station on the ground, 
While on the roof, be} T ond the ridge, 
He shovels clear the lower edge. 

But, sad mischance! the loosened snow 

Comes sliding down, to plunge below. 

And as he tumbles with the slide, 

Up Rachel goes on t'other side. 

Just half way down the Justice hung; 

Just half way up the woman swung. 
"Good land o' Goshen!" shouted she; 
"Why, do you see it?" answered he. 

5. The couple dangling in the breeze, 
Like turkeys hung outside to freeze, 
At their rope's end and wit's end, too, 
Shout back and forth what best to do. 
Cried Stephen, " Take it coolly, wife; 
All have their ups and downs in life." 
Quoth Rachel, " What a pity 'tis 

To joke at such a time as this! 
A man whose wife is being hung 
Should know enough to hold his tongue." 

6. "Now, Rachel, as I look below, 
I see a tempting heap of snow. 
Suppose, my dear, I take my knife. 
And cut the rope to save my life? " 
She shouted, "Don't! 'twould be my death- 
I see some pointed stones beneath. 



US RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

A better way would be to call, 
With all our might for Phebe Hall." 
" Agreed! " he roared. First he, then she 
Gave tongue: " O Phebe! Phebe! Phe-e- 
be Hall! " in tones both fine and coarse, 
Enough to make a drover hoarse. 

7. Now Phebe, over at the farm, 

Was sitting, sewing, snug and warm; 
But hearing, as she thought, her name, 
Sprang up, and to the rescue came, 
Beheld the scene, and thus she thought: — 
" If now a kitchen chair were brought, 
And I could reach the lady's foot, 
I'd draw her downward by the boot, 
Then cut the rope, and let him go; 
He cannot miss the pile of snow." 

8. He sees her moving toward his wife, 
Armed with a chair and carving-knife, 
And, ere he is aware, perceives 

His head ascending to the eaves, 
And, guessing what the two are at, 
Screams from beneath the roof, " Stop that! 
You make me fall too far, by half! " 
But Phebe answers with a laugh, 
" Please tell a body by what right 
You've brought your wife to such a plight? " 
And then, with well-directed blows, 
She cuts the rope and down he goes. 

9. The wife untied, they walk around, 
When lo! no Stephen can be found. 
They call in vain, run to and fro; 
They look around, above, below, 
No trace or token can they see, 
And deeper grows the mystery. 
Then Rachel's heart within her sank; 
But, glancing at the snowy bank, 
She caught a little gleam of hope — 
A gentle movement of the rope. 



MODULATION. **9 



10. They scrape away a little snow;— • 

What's this? A hat! Ah! he's below. 
Then upward heaves the snowy pile, 
And forth he stalks in tragic style, 
Unhurt, and with a roguish smile; 
And Rachel sees, with glad surprise, 
The missing found, the fallen rise. 



FORCE. 

Force is the degree of energy, depending upon the intensity 
of feeling, with which speech is delivered. 

1. Force should not be confounded with loudness. Force is the 
measure of intensity by which a sentiment or emotion, concentrated in 
the speaker's mind, is manifested by utterance. Force marks the degree 
of mental and physical agitation rather than its expression. Loudness de- 
pends upon force and pitch — full force and high pitch producing the 
greatest degree of loudness. Words may be uttered with full force in a 
whisper. 

2. The degree of force employed in the expression of the various 
sentiments and emotions corresponds, with one exception, to the strength 
of the sentiments or emotions that occasion speech. Sometimes we are 
so overpowered by passion, fright, or other overwhelming emotion, that 
the energy required to express our feelings is consumed in maintaining 
our very consciousness. 

3. Few subjects treated by the elocutionist are of greater impor- 
tance in developing a full, deep, flexible, and powerful voice than that of 
force; hence, practice — much practice, and intelligent practice is essen- 
tial in this department of vocal culture. 

4. The student should increase his force by degrees. Sudden tran- 
sitions are injurious to one not accustomed to a severe use of the voice. 
Every new acquisition of power will enable him to go beyond his present 
attainments. When that degree of force is obtained beyond which the 
voice cannot go without inconvenience, the effort to increase the force 
should be discontinued, and a few minutes' practice should be had with 
that degree of force. 

5. In the exercises following, avoid any change of pitch while 
increasing the force. If the pitch is raised, begin again with the element 



120 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



and endeavor to complete the fullest degree of force with the same pitch 
with which that element is begun. 

6. The student will observe that every shade of emotion requires a 
corresponding degree of force. The varying intensity must therefore be 
constantly noted and faithfully indicated by the appropriate force, 

DIVISION OF FORCE. 

Force may be divided into three classes, namely: Subdued, 
Moderate, Full, each of which may be further divided into 
three degrees. 

EXERCISES. 

The student will repeat the sentence opposite the dots with nine 
degrees of force without change of pitch. Begin with the least audible 
sound that can be uttered, and increase in intensity not loudness, till the 
utmost energy is attained. Reverse the order. Repeat each degree of 
force several times before passing to the next. 



Hang out our banners on the outward walls! 



> Hang out our banners on the outward walls! 



Hanff out our banners on the outward walls! 



Hang out our banners on the outward walls! 



> Hang out our banners on the outward walls ! 



J Hang out our banners on the outward walls! 

* Hang out our banners on the outward walls ! 
> Hang out our banners on the outward walls! 
Hang out our banners on the outward walls! 



MODULATION. 121 

SUBDUED FORCE. LAW OF USE. 

Subdued Force is used in the expression of tenderness, 
pathos, sadness, seriousness, solemnity, reverence, aice, melan- 
choly and tranquillity, usually with pure tone. 



MEMORY. 
(A Student's Midnight Reverie.) 

JAMES A. GARFIELD. 

Subdued Force, 
This selection is designed to cultivate purity and smooth- 
ness of tone as well as subdued force. Long quantity and 
gentle, undulating waves of the second prevail. The wave 
applied to italicized words will render the delivery beautiful. 
Avoid affectation. 

1. 'Tis beauteous night; the stars look brightly down 
Upon the earth, decked in her role of snow. 

No light gleams at the windows, save my own, 

Which gives its cheer to midnight and to me. 

And now, with noiseless step, sweet memory comes 

And leads me gently through her twilight realms. 

What poet's tuneful lyre has ever sung, 

Or delicatest pencil e'er portrayed 

The enchanted, shadowy land where memory dwells? 

2. It has its valleys, cheerless, lone, and drear, 
Dark-shaded by the mournful cypress tree; 
And yet its sunlit mountain tops are bathed 
In Heaven's own blue. Upon its craggy cliffs, 
Robed in the dreamy light of distant years, 
Are clustered joys serene of other days. 

3. Upon its gently sloping hill-sides bend 
The weeping willows of the sacred dust 
Of dear departed ones; yet in that land, 



122 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Where'er our footsteps fall upon the shore, 
They that were sleeping rise from out the dust 
Of death's long, silent years, and round us stand 
As erst they did before the prison tomb 
Received their clay within its voiceless halls. 

4. The path of youth winds down through many a vale, 
And on the brink of many a dread abyss, 
From out whose darkness comes no ray of light, 
Save that a phantom dances o'er the gulf 
And beckons toward the verge. Again, the path 
Leads o'er the summit where the sunbeams fall; 
And thus in light and shade, sunshine and gloom, 
Sorrow and joy, this life-path leads along. 

See also, as an example of Subdued Force, "Break, Break, 
Break," and "Which One." 

MODERATE FORCE. LAW OF USE. 

Moderate Force is employed in the expression of narrative, 
descriptive and didactic thought, and may be used to express the 
milder forms of sublimity, solemnity, grandeur and devotion, 
and in introductions to orations. 



THE GLADIATOR. 

Moderate Force. 



This is an excellent piece for recitation. The force through- 
out, except the gladiator's speech, is moderate. His words 
receive more force than the narrative part. Let the whole be 
rendered w T ith animation and the effect will be impressive and 
thrilling. 

1. Stillness reigned in the vast amphitheatre, and, from the count- 
less thousands that thronged the spacious inclosure, not a breath was 
heard. Every tongue was mute with suspense, and every eye strained 



MODULATION. 123 

with anxiety toward the gloomy portal where the gladiator was momen- 
tarily expected to enter. At length the trumpet sounded, and they led 
him forth into the broad arena. There was no mark of fear upon his 
manly countenance, as with majestic step and fearless eye he entered. 
He stood there, like another Apollo, firm and unbending as the rigid oak. 
His fine proportioned form was matchless, and his turgid muscles spoke 
his giant strength. 

2. " I am here," he cried, as his proud lip curled in scorn, " to glut 
the savage eyes of Rome's proud populace. Aye, like a dog you throw 
me to a beast; and what is my offense? Why, forsooth, I am a Christian. 
But know, ye can not fright my soul, for it is based upon a foundation 
stronger than the adamantine rock. Know ye, whose hearts are harder 
than the flinty stone, my heart quakes not with fear; and here I aver, I 
would not change conditions with the blood-stained Nero, crowned 
though he be, not for the wealth of Rome. Blow ye your trumpet — I 
am ready." 

3. The trumpet sounded, and a long, low growl was heard to pro- 
ceed from the cage of a half-famished Numidian lion, situated at the 
farthest end of the arena. The growl deepened into a roar of tremen- 
dous volume, which shook the enormous edifice to its very center. At 
that moment the door was thrown open, and the huge monster of the 
forest sprang from his den, with one mighty bound to the opposite side 
of the arena. His eyes blazed with the brilliancy of fire, as he slowly 
drew his length along the sand, and prepared to make a spring upon his 
formidable antagonist. The gladiator's eye quailed not; his lip paled 
not; but he stood immovable as a statue, waiting the approach of his 
wary foe. 

4. At length, the lion crouched himself into an attitude for spring- 
ing, and with the quickness of lightning, leaped full at the throat of the 
gladiator. But he was prepared for him, and bounding lightly on one 
side, his falchion flashed for a moment over his head, and in the next it 
was deeply dyed in the purple blood of the monster. A roar of redoub- 
led fury again resounded through the spacious amphitheatre, as the 
enraged animal, mad with anguish from the wound he had just received, 
wheeled hastily round, and sprang a second time at the Nazarene. 

5. Again was the falchion of the cool and intrepid gladiator deeply 
planted in the breast of his terrible adversary; but so sudden had been 
the second attack, that it was impossible to avoid the full impetus of his 
bound, and he staggered and fell upon his knee. The monster's paw was 
upon his shoulder, and he felt his hot fiery breath upon his cheek, as it 
rushed through his wide distended nostrils. The Nazarene drew a short 



124 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

dagger from his girdle, and endeavored to regain his feet. But his foe, 
aware of his design, precipitating himself upon him, threw him with 
violence to the ground. 

6. The excitement of the populace was now wrought up to a high 
pitch, and they waited the result with breathless suspense. A low growl 
of satisfaction now announced the noble animal's triumph, as he sprang 
fiercely upon his prostrate enemy. But it was of short duration; the 
dagger of the gladiator pierced his vitals, and together they rolled over 
and over, across the broad arena. Again the dagger drank deep of the 
monster's blood, and again a roar of anguish reverberated through the 
stately edifice. 

7. The Nazarene, now watching his opportunity, sprang with the 
velocity of thought from the terrific embrace of his enfeebled antagonist, 
and regaining his falchion, which had fallen to the ground in the strug- 
gle, he buried it deep in the heart of the infuriated beast. The noble 
king of the forest, faint from the loss of blood, concentrated all his 
remaining strength in one mighty bound; but it was too late; the last 
blow had been driven home to the center of life, and his huge form fell 
with a mighty crash upon the arena, amid the thundering acclamations 
of the populace. 

FULL FORCE. LAW OF USE. 

Full Force is employed in the expression of strong emotion, 
as Joy, gladness, courage, boldness, defiance, anger, profound sub- 
limity and grandeur, and in the delivery of political, senatorial, 
and judicial speeches of an exalted oratorical character. 



RIENZFS ADDRESS TO THE ROMANS. 

MARY RUSSELL MITFORD. 

Denunciation, Indignation. 

This piece furnishes an excellent drill in Expulsive and Ex- 
plosive Orotund and Full Force. Let the tones be ringing and 
distinct. As a model of its style it will amply repay the labor 
of memorizing. 



MODULATION. 125 

I come not here to talk. You know too well 
The story of our thraldom. We are — slaves! 
The bright sun rises to his course and lights 
A race of slaves! He sets, and his last beams 
Full on a slave; not such as, swept along 
By the full tide of power, the conqueror led 
To crimson glory and undying fame : 
But — base — ignoble slaves; slaves to a horde 
Of petty tyrants, feudal despots, lords, 
Rich in some dozen paltry milages; 
Strong in some hundred spearmen; only great 
In that strange spell — a name. 

Each hour, dark fraud, 
Or open rapine, or protected murder, 
Cries out against them. But this very day, 
An honest man, my neighbor — there he stands — 
Was struck — struck like a — dog, by one who wore 
The badge of Ursini, because, forsooth! 
He tossed not high his ready cap in air, 
Nor lifted up his voice in servile shouts, 
At sight of that great ruffian! 

Be we men, 
And suffer such dishonor? men, and wash not 
The stain away in blood? Such shames are common. 
I have known deeper wrongs; I, that speak to ye, 
I had a brother once — a gracious boy, 
Full of gentleness, of calmest hope, 
Of sweet and quiet joy; — there was the look 
Of heaven upon his face, which limners give 
To the beloved disciple. 

How I loved 
That gracious boy! Younger by fifteen years, 
Brother at once, and son! He left my side, 
A summer bloom on his fair cheek; a smile 
Parting his innocent lips. In one short hour 
The pretty harmless boy was slain\ I saw 
The corse, the mangled corse, and then I cried 
For vengeancel Rouse 3 T e, Romans! rouse ye Slaves! 
Have ye brave sons ? Look in the next fierce brawl 



126 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

To see them die. Have ye fair daughters? Look 
To see the in live, torn from your arms, distained, 
Dishonored ; and if ye dare call for justice, 
Be answered by the lash. 

5. , Yet, this is Home, 

That sat on her seven hills, and from her throne 

Of beauty, ruled the world! Yet, we are Romans. 

Why, in that elder day, to be a Roman 

Was greater than a king! Acd, once again — 

Hear me, ye walls that echoed to the tread x 

Of either Brutus! — once again, I swear, 

The Eternal City shall he free! 

See also " South Carolina and Massachusetts " as an example 
of Full Force. 

SUSTAINED FORCE. 

In addressing large assemblies, and in calling and command- 
ing, the Full Force is sustained for some moments, according 
to the size of the audience, or distance to which the voice is to 
be heard. 

Calling at a distance and preparatory commands require an 
effusive prolongation on the accented vowels. Speaking to 
great numbers at a distance requires long quantity on words and 
long pauses between the words. 

Exercises: 

1. O-v-e-r! 

2. Young men — ahoy! 

3. Ship — ahoy! Send-a-boat! 

4. Attention — Company! — March! 

5. And lo! from the assembled crowd 
There rose a shout, prolonged and loud, 

That to the ocean seemed to say, 

" Take — her, — oh — bridegroom — old — and — gva,y, 
Take — her — to — thy — protecting — arms, 
With — all — her— youth — and — all — her — charms." 

— {Longfellow. 



MODULATION. 127 

APPEAL IN BEHALF OF IRELAND, 

S. S. PRENTISS. 

The following appeal to the citizens of New Orleans during 
the Mexican War, made in behalf of Ireland, then suffering 
from a terrible famine, is one of the finest specimens of modern 
eloquence. It is a favorite among college students. With it 
many prizes have been won. 

Its delivery requires effusive and expulsive orotund, full 
and sustained force, long quantity and long pauses. 

1. Fellow-citizens: It is no ordinary cause that has brought to- 
gether this vast assemblage, on the present occasion. We have met, not to 
prepare ourselves for political contests. We have met, not to celebrate 
the achievements for those gallant men who have planted our victorious 
standards in the heart of an enemy's country. We have assembled not 
to respond to shouts of triumph from the West, but to answer the cry of 
want and suffering which comes from the East. The Old World stretches 
out her arms to the New. The starving parent supplicates the young 
and vigorous child for bread. 

2. There lies upon the other side of the wide Atlantic a beautiful 
island, famous in story and in song. Its area is not so great as that of 
the state of Louisiana, while its population is almost half that of the 
Union. It has given to the world more than its share of genius and of 
greatness. It has been prolific in statesmen, warriors, and poets. Its 
brave and generous sons have fought successfully all battles but their 
own. In wit and humor it has no equal; while its harp, like its history, 
moves to tears by its sweet but melancholy pathos. 

3. Into this fair region, God has seen fit to send the most terrible of 
all those fearful ministers that fulfill his inscrutable decrees. The Earth 
has failed to give her increase. The common mother has forgotten her 
offspring, and she no longer affords them their accustomed nourishment. 
Famine, gaunt and ghastly Famine, has seized a nation with its strangling 
grasp. Unhappy Ireland, in the sad woes of the present, forgets, for a 
moment, the gloomy history of the past. 

4. Oh! it is terrible, that in this beautiful world, which the good 
God has given us, and in which there is plenty for us all, men should die 
of starvation! When a man dies of disease, he alone endures the pain. 
Around his pillow are gathered sympathizing f riends,who,if they can not 
keep back the deadly messenger, cover his face, and conceal the horrors 



128 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

of his visage, as lie delivers Ms stern mandate. In battle, in the fullness 
of his pride and strength, little recks the soldier whether the hissing 
bullet smgs his sudden requiem, or the cords of life are severed by the 
sharp steel. 

5. But he who dies of hunger, wrestles alone, day after day, with 
his grim and unrelenting enemy. He has no friends to cheer him in the 
terrible conflict; for, if he had friends, how could he die of hunger? 
He has not the hot blood of the soldier to maintain him; for his foe. 
vampire-like, has exhausted his veins. Famine comes not up, like a 
brave enemy, storming, by a sudden onset, the fortress that resists. 
Famine besieges. He draws his lines round the doomed garrison. He 
cuts off all supplies. He never summons to surrender; for he gives no 
quarter. 

6. Alas! for poor human nature, how can it sustain this fearful 
warfare? Day by day the blood recedes; the flesh deserts; the muscles 
relax, and the sinews grow powerless. At last the mind, which at first 
had bravely nerved itself against the contest, gives way, under the mys- 
terious influences which govern its union with the body. Then the 
victim begins to doubt the existence of an overruling Providence. He 
hates his fellow-men, and glares upon them with the longing of a can- 
nibal; and, it may be, dies blaspheming. 

7. This is one of those cases in which we may, without impiety, 
assume, as it were, the function of Providence. Who knows but that one 
of the very objects of this calamity is to test the benevolence and wor- 
thiness of us, upon whom unlimited abundance is showered? In the 
name, then, of common humanity, I invoke your aid in behalf of starving 
Ireland. He who is able, and will not aid such a cause, is not a man, and 
has no right to wear the form. He should be sent back to Nature's mint, 
and re-issued as a counterfeit on humanity, of Nature's baser metal. 

For other examples of sustained force, see the commands 
in " Charge of the Light Brigade." 



STRESS* 

Stress is the application of Force to some particular part, 
of a syllable or word. 

1. Stress differs from accent in this particular: stress is limited to 
only a part of a syllable, while accent includes the entire syllable. 



MODULATION. 129 

2. In the utterance of an elementary sound which consists of but a 
single impulse of the voice, the force may lie prominently on the first or 
on the last part, on the middle or on both extremes, or it may be dis- 
tributed with an equal degree throughout the sound. 

The divisions of stress are, 

Eadical, Median, Final. 

Compound, Thorough, Intermittent. 

RADICAL STRESS. 

Radical Stress ( mUlllBBTii" i is the application of Force 
to the first part of a syllable or word. 

In applying this stress the sound should burst instantaneously upon 
the first part of the syllable or word, and the succeeding part should be 
uttered with a decreasing force. 

LAW OF USE. 

The degree of Radical Stress is determined by the intensity 
of emotion. It is used, first, in a mild form, to express nar- 
rative, didactic, and descriptive thought; and, second, with 
greater force, to express mirthful emotions, sudden anger, fear, 
impetuous and startling emotions', and, third, with full force, 
in the delivery of vigorous and earnest argument. 

EXERCISES IN RADICAL STRESS. 

Apply radical stress to the short vowel sounds: 
to- s*. w *»* ► 

a e i o u 

1. He wok"e~to hear his sentry shriek, 

To arms! they come! the Greek! the Greek! 

2. Back to thy punishment, false fugitive! 



THE REVOLUTIONARY RISING. 

THOMAS BUCHANAN HEAD. 

The following poem is a favorite drill exercise among 
voice trainers. Examples of the three degrees of force are af- 



130 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

forded for the application of Radical Stress. Observe that 
stanzas second and third are delivered with a force varying 
between subdued and moderate, the others with a force varying 
with the intensity of emotion. 

1. Out of the North the wild news came, 
Far flashing on its wings of flame, 
Swift as the boreal light which flies 

At midnight through the startled skies. 
And there was tumult in the air, 

The fife's shrill note, the drum's loud beat, 
And through the wide land everywhere 

The answering tread of hurrying feet, 
While the first oath of freedom's gun 
Came on the blast from Lexington; 
And Concord roused, no longer tame, 
Forgot her old baptismal name, 
Made bare her patriot arm of power, 
And swelled the discord of the hour. 

2. Within its shade of elm and oak 

The church of Berkley Manor stood; 
There Sunday found the rural folk, 

And some esteemed of gentle blood. 

In vaiu their feet with loitering tread 
Passed mid the graves where rank is naught; 
All could not read the lesson taught 

In that republic of the dead. 

3. How sweet the hour of Sabbath talk, 

The vale with peace and sunshine full, 
Where all the happy people walk, 

Decked in their homespun flax and wool; 
Where youth's gay hats with blossoms bloom; 

And every maid,' with simple art, 

Wears on her breast, like her own heart, 
A bud whose depths are all perfume; 

While every garment's gentle stir 

Is breathing rose and lavender. 

4. The pastor came: his snowy locks 

Hallowed his brow of thought and care; 



MODULATION. 131 

And calmly, as shepherds lead their flocks, 

He lead into the house of prayer. 
Then soon he rose; the prayer was strong; 
The Psalm was warrior David's song; 
The text, a few short words of might — 
" The Lord of hosts shall arm the right! " 
He spoke of wrongs too long endured, 
Of sacred rights to be secured; 
Then from his patriot tongue of flame 
The startling words for Freedom came. 

5. The stirring sentences he spake 
Compelled the heart to glow or quake, 
And rising on his theme's broad wing, 

And grasping in his nervous hand 

The imaginary battle-brand, 
In face of death he dared to fling 
Defiance to a tyrant king. 

6. Even as he spoke, his frame, renewed 
In eloquence of attitude, 

Rose, as it seemed, a shoulder higher; 
Then swept his kindling glance of fire 
From startled pew to breathless choir; 
"When suddenly his mantle wide 
His hands impatient flung aside, 
And, lo! he met their wondering eyes 
Complete in all a warrior's guise. 

7. A moment there was awful pause — 
When Berkley cried, " Cease traitor, cease! 
God's temple is the house of peace! " 

The other shouted, " Nay, not so, 
When God is with our righteous cause; 
His holiest places then are ours, 
His temples are our forts and towers 

That frown upon the tyrant foe; 
In this, the dawn of Freedom's day, 
There is a time to fight and pray! " 

8. And now, before the open door — 

The warrior priest had ordered so — 



132 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

The enlisting trumpet's sudden roar 
Rang through the chapel, o'er and o'er, 

Its long reverberating blow, 
So loud and clear, it seemed the ear 
Of dusty death must wake and hear. 

9. And there the startling drum and fife 
Fired the living with fiercer life; 
While overhead, with wild increase, 
Forgetting its ancient toll of peace, 

The great bell swung as ne'er before. 
It seemed as it would never cease; 
And every word its ardor flung 
From off its jubilant iron tongue 

Was, "War! war! AVAR!" 

10. "Who dares " — this was the patriot's cry, 
As striding from the desk he came — 
" Come out with me, in Freedom's name, 
For her to live, for her to die? " 
A hundred hands flung up reply, 
A hundred voices answered, " I! " 

[J. B Lippincott Co., Publishers. 

For additional illustrations see "The Little Black-Eyed 
Rebel," "The Happy Young Girl," and "Marco Bozzaris." 

MEDIAN STRESS. 

The Median Stress (^[0|^) is the application of 
force to the middle of the syllable or word. Its application 
consists in a gradual swelling of voice to the middle of the 
syllable or word, followed by a gradually diminishing force to 
the end. 

1. The Median Stress supplies the chief element of grandeur, 
beauty and impressiveness in the rendition of poetic thought. 

2. The lengthened and expansive quantity given to those words sig- 
nificant of pathos, sublimity, and intense feeling reach the heart and en- 
list our sympathies beyond the power of the most artistic combination of 
words. It is the natural vein with which heart speaks to heart. 



MODULATION. 133 

3. Great care, however, should be exercised lest this should be 
overdone, misplaced or ill-timed, for ridicule and contempt would then 
take the place of sympathy. To avoid any misapplication, feel the senti- 
ment before you attempt its expression. Here, as elsewhere, artistic 
error deceives only artificial tastes. 

4. The characteristic utterance of Median Stress is effusive, though 
the expression of the more elevated emotions of grandeur and sublimity 
coupled with full force requires an expulsive utterance. 

EXERCISES IN MEDIAN STRESS. 

1. O, the long and dreary winter! 

2. O, the cold and cruel winter! 

3. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll! 

4. O Lord, thou art clothed with honor and majesty. 

5. Lo, all grow old and die ! 

LAW OF USE. 

The Median Stress is used in the expression of tenderness, 
compassion, grandeur, sublimity ', pathos, reverence, and devotion. 

The intensity of the stress varies with the degree of emo- 
tion. 



WHICH ONE? 



A beautiful recitation which never fails, when properly given, 
to produce a profound impression. Let the quantity and pauses 
be long and the Median Stress well marked. Avoid affecta- 
tion. 

1. One of us, dear — 

But one — 
Will sit by a bed with a marvellous fear, 

And clasp a hand, 
Growing cOld as it feels for the spirit land — 

Darling, which one? 



134 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

2. One of us, dear — 

But one — 

Will stand by the other's coffin bier, 
And look and weep, 

While those marble lips strange silence keep- 
Darling, which one? 

3. One of us, dear— 

But one — 

By an open grave will drop a tear. 
And homeward go, 

The anguish of an unshared grief to know- 
Darling, which one? 

4. One of us, darling, it must be, 
It may be you will slip from me; 
Or perhaps my life may first be done; 
Which one? 

Other excellent examples of Median Stress are " The Long 
Ago," "Memory," "Break, Break, Break," and the second 
stanza of " The Bells." 

FINAL, STRESS. 

The Final Stress (fljHBBBMv^) is the application of 
force to the last part of the syllable or word. 

1. The final Stress consists of a gradual increase of force till the 
end of the syllable or word is reached, when the force culminates in 
an abrupt explosive utterance. 

2. This is emphatically the stress of decisive statements. Its use, 
with those to whom it is natural, admits of no equivocation. 

3. The student is cautioned against its use where not indicated. 
Its frequent recurrence in conversation or oratory, when not required 
in appropriate expression, savors of arrogance, and serves to repel rather 
than persuade or convince. 

EXERCISES IN FINAL STRESS. 

hate budge slave gone blood 

crouch fawn cringe swear scorn 



I dare accusation! I defy the honorable gentleman 



MODULATION. 135 



LAW OF USE. 



The Final Stress is used in expressing a dogged determin- 
ation, disdain,contempt, protest, rebuke, disgust, revenge, defiance 
and hatred. 



CATILINE'S DEFIANCE. 

GEORGE CROLT. 

An admirable selection to cultivate the bold utterance of 
angry vehemence. Use Pectoral quality, Full Force and Final 
Stress. 

1. Conscript Fathers: 

I do not rise to waste the night in words; 
Let that plebeian talk; 'tis not my trade ; 
But here I stand for right — let him show proofs — * 
For Roman right; though none, it seems, dare stand 
To take their share with me. Ay, cluster there! 
Cling to your master, judges, Romans, slaves! 
His charge is false; — I ddfre him to his proofs. 
You have my answer. Let my actions speak! 

2. But this I will avow, that I have scorned, 
And still do scorn, to hide my sense of wrong! 

Who brands me on the forehead, breaks my sword, 

Or lays the bloody scourge upon my back, 

Wrongs me not half so much as he who shuts 

The gates of honor on me — turning out 

The Roman from his birthright; and, for what? 

To fling your offices to every slave! 

Vipers, that creep where man disdains to climb. 

And, having wound their loathsome track to the top 

Of this huge, moldering monument of Rome, 

Hang hissing at the nobler man below! 

Come, consecrated lictors, from your thrones; 

Fling down your scepters; [To the Senate] take the rod and ax 

And make the murder as you make the law! 



130 RATIONAL ELOCUTION'. 

3. Banished from Rome! What's banished, but set free 
From daily contact with the things I loathe? 

" Tried and convicted traitor! " Who says this? 
Who'll prove it, at his peril, on my head? 

4. Banished! I thank you for-'t. It breaks my chain! 
I held some slack allegiance till this hour; 

But now my sword's my own. Smile on, my lords! 
I scorn to count what feelings, withered hopes, 
Strong provocations, bitter, burning wrongs, 
I have within my heart's hot cells shut up, 
To leave you in your lazy dignities. 
But here I stand and scoff you! here, I fling 
Hatred and full defiance in your face! 
Your consul's merciful — for this all thanks; 
He dares not touch a hair of Catiline! 

5. "Traitor!" I go; but I return. This— trial? 
Here I devote your senate! I've had wrongs 
To stir a fever in the blood of age, 

Or make the infant's sinews strong as steel. 

This day's the birth of sorrow! This hour's work 

Will breed proscriptions! Look to your hearthe, my lords! 

For there, henceforth, shall sit, for household gods, 

Shapes hot from Tartarus! — all shames and crimes! 

Wan treachery, with his thirsty dagger drawn; 

Suspicion, poisoning his brother's cup; 

Naked Rebellion, with the torch and ax, 

Making his wild sport of your blazing thrones; 

Till Anarchy comes down on you like night, 

And massacre seals Rome's eternal grave! 

G. I go; but not to leap the gulf alone. 

I go; but, when I come, 'twill be the burst 

Of ocean in the earthquake — rolling back 

In swift and mountainous ruin. Fare you well! 

You build my funeral pile; but your best blood 

Shall quench its name! Back, slaves! [To the Liotors] 

I will return! 

Another fine example of Final Stress is "The Seminole's 
Defiance. 1 ' 



MODULATION. 137 



COMPOUND STRESS. 



Compound Stress ( BB^^^^BH ) is the application of 
force to the first and last part of a word, giving the middle 
part but slight force. 

The Compound Stress may be regarded as an emphatic 
form of the emotional wave. 

EXERCISES IN COMPOUND STRESS. 

dead added gone feared happy, 

brother bloody king paused deed. 

Gone to be married! Gone to swear a peace! 

False blood to false blood joined! Gone to be friends! 

Shall Louis have Blanche, and Blanche these provinces? 

LAW OF USE. 

The Compound Stress is used to express ridicule, irony, 
astonishment, contempt, malice, mockery, sarcasm, and raillery. 



SPARTACUS TO THE ROMAN ENVOYS IN ETRURIA. 

EPES SARGENT. 

This declamation is a great favorite among contestants for 
declamation honors and prizes. Words requiring Compound 
Stress are printed in Italics. Use Orotund quality and mod- 
erately Full Force. 

1. Envoys of Rome: The poor camp of Spartacus is too much 
honored by your presence. And does Rome stoop to parley with the 
escaped gladiator, with the rebel ruffian, for whom heretofore no slight 
has been too scornful? You have come, with steel in your right hand, 
and with gold in your left. What heed we give the former, ask 
Cossinius; ask Claudius; ask Varinius; ask the bones of your legions 



138 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

that fertilize the Lucanian plains. And for your gold — would ye know 
what we do with that — go ask the laborer, the trodden poor, the helpless 
and the hopeless, on our route; ask all whom Roman tyranny had crushed 
or Roman avarice plundered. 

2. Ye have seen me before; but ye did not then shun my glance as 
now. Ye have seen me in the arena, when I was Rome's pet ruffian, 
daily smeared with blood of men or beasts. One day — shall I forget it 
ever? — ye were present — I had fought long and well. Exhausted as I 
was, your numerator, your lord of the games, bethought him, it were an 
equal match to set against me a new man, younger and lighter than I, 
but fresh and valiant. With Thracian sword and buckler, forth he came, 
a beautiful defiance on his brow! Bloody and brief the fight. "He has 
it! " cried the People: " Itabet ! Jtabet ! " But still he lowered not his arm, 
until, at length, I held him, gashed and fainting, in my power. 

3. I looked around upon the Podium, where sat your Senators and 
men of State, to catch the signal of release, of mercy. But not a thumb 
was reversed. To crown your sport the vanquished man must die! 
Obedient brute that I was, I was about to slay him, when a few hurried 
words — rather a welcome to death than a plea for life — told me he was a 
Thracian. I stood transfixed. The arena vanished. I was in Thrace, 
upon my native hills! The sword dropped from my hands. I raised the 
dying youth tenderly in my arms. O, the magnanimity of Rome. 

4. Your haughty leaders, enraged at being cheated of their death - 
show, hissed their disappointment, and shouted. " Kill! " I heeded them 
as I would heed the howl of icohes. Kill him ? — They might better have 
asked the mother to kill the babe, smiling in her face. Ah! he was 
already wounded unto death; and,amid the angry yells of the spectators, 
he died. That night I was scourged for disobedience. I shall not for- 
get it. Should memory fail, there are scars here to quicken it. 

5. Well; do not grow impatient. Some hours after, finding myself 
with seventy fellow -gladiators, alone in the amphitheatre, the laboring 
thought broke forth in words. I said — I know not what. I only know 
that when I ceased, my comrades looked each other in the face — and 
then burst forth the simultaneous cry — "Lead on! lead on, O Sparta- 
cus! " Forth we rushed— seized what rude weapons Chance threw in 
our way, and to the mountains speeded. There day by day our little 
band increased. 

6. Disdainful Rome sent after us a handful of her troops, with a 
scourge for the slave Spartacus. Their weapons soon were ours. She 
sent an army, and down from old Vesuvius we poured, and slew three 
thousand. Now it was Spartacus the dreaded rebel! A larger army, 



MODULATION. 139 

headed by the Praetor, was sent and routed; then another still. And al- 
ways I remembered that fierce cry, riving my heart, and calling me to 
"kill"' In three pitched battles, have I not obeyed itr? And now affright- 
ed Rome sends her two Consuls, and puts forth all her strength by land, 
and sea, as if a Pyrrhus or a Hannibal were on her borders! 

7. Envoys of Rome! To Lentulus and Gellius bear this message: 
" Their grates are measured!" Look on that narrow Btream, a silver 
thread, high on the mountain's side! Slenderly it winds, but soon is 
swelled by others meeting it, until a torrent, terrible and strong, it sweeps 
to the abyss where all is ruin. So Spartacus comes on! So swells his 
force — small and despised at first, but now resistless! On, on to Rome 
we come! The gladiators come! Let Opulence tremble in all his 
palaces! Let Oppression shudder to think the oppressed may have their 
turn! Let Cruelty turn pale at thought of redder hands than his! O, we 
shall not forget Rome's many lessons. She shall not find her training 
was all wasted upon indocile pupils. Now begone! Prepare the 
Eternal City for our games! 

Additional examples in Compound Stress will be found in 
the italicized words in the " Scene from Hamlet. " 



THOROl'UH STRESS. 

Thorough Stress fiH^^SHBN' is the equal distribution 
of Force to all parts of the syllable or word. 

1. It is a combination of the Radical, Mediau and Final in the 
order named. 

2. It is the characteristic Stress of a powerful and all-pervading 
emotion that seeks to express itself in broad, swelling sounds which 
electrify the hearts and fire the souls of listeners. 

3. The effect of the Thorough Stress upon the assembled multi- 
tude, listening to the impassioned appeals of a skillful orator, pleading 
the cause of suffering humanity, or denouncing insatiate ambition, un- 
bridled licentiousness or unchecked tyranny, is wonderful and beyond 
our comprehension. If, however, employed in the expression of com- 
mon-place ideas and trivial thoughts, it can excite in cultivated minds 
only ridicule and disgust. 

4. Children are usually deficient in the power of Thorough Stress, 
and on attempting to apply it to one or more woids, are apt to run into a 
high, monotonous chant that is extremely unpleasant to hearers. To 



140 EATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

avoid this tendency, examples should be used for the practice of this 
stress containing words at their close which require some other stress. 
[See example below; the words, "he said," require Thorough Stress.] 

EXERCISES IN THOROUGH STRESS. 

sail strong home know swarm 

drove song shore prayer prolong 

" Forward, the Light Brigade! 
Charge for the guns! " he said. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Thorough Stress is employed to express lofty command, 
rapturous joy, calling, shouting, vehement indignation, orator- 
ical apostrophe and intense and violent emotion. _ 



APOSTROPHE TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 

GEOEGE BANCROFT. 

Expulsive Orotund, Full Force, Thorough Stress. Excellent 
for drill on these three elements. 

1. Go forth, then, language of Milton- and Hampden, language of 
my country; take possession of the North American Continent! Gladden 
the waste places with every tone that has been rightly struck on the 
English lyre, with every English word that has been spoken well for 
liberty and man! 

2. Give an echo to the now silent and solitary mountains; gush out 
with the fountains that as yet sing their anthem all day long without 
response; fill the valleys with the voices of love in its purity, the pledges 
of friendship in its faithfulness; and as the morning sun drinks the dew- 
drops from the flowers all the way from the dreary Atlantic to the 
Peaceful ocean, meet him with the joyous hum of the early industry of 
freemen! 

3. Utter boldly and spread widely through the world the thoughts 
of the coming apostles of the people's liberty, till the sound that cheers 



MODULATION. 141 

the desert shall thrill through the heart of humanity, and the lips of the 
messenger of the people's power, as he stands in beauty upon the moun- 
tains, shall proclaim the renovating tidings of equal freedom for the 
race. 

For other illustrations of Thorough Stress, see "The 
Xational Banner," "Defense of Hofer " and last paragraph of 
"Impeachment of Warren Hastings." 

INTERMITTENT STRESS. 

The- Intermittent Stress (X/X/X/X/) is a tremulous 
application of Force throughout the syllable or word, prolonged 
in utterance. 

1. It is the characteristic Stress of extreme tenderness, feebleness 
and old age, but is also observed in subdued grief and joy, when the 
breath is sent forth in agitated jets, as if the vital forces were too weak 
to control its accurate articulation. 

2. To secure command of the tremor, much practice upon simple 
elements and words is necessary before attempting continuous sentences. 

LAW OF USE. 

The Intermittent Stress is used in the expression of dis- 
tress, fear, weakness, exhaustion, sickness, pity, tenderness, over- 
whelming joy and grief, and in the feebleness of old age. 

Exercises in Intermittent Stress: 



old 


gone 


poor 


grave 


strength 


word 


time 


breath 


hear 


come 


round 


soul 


chain 


twine 


path 


roll 



EXAMPLES: SICKNESS AND EXHAUSTION. 

Jessie's — too — sick, — Papa. Can't — say — goodnight,— Papa. 
■ In — the — morning. 



Mother, — the — angels — do — so — smile, — and — beckon — little 
Jim. 



142 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

FEEBLENESS OF OLD AGE. 

Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, 

Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door,' 
Whose days are dicindled to the shortest sj)an;~ 

Oh! give relief, and Heaven will bless your store! 



THE DYING BOY, 

MRS. SIGOURNEY. 



A most impressive reading or recitation when well rendered. 
Give descriptive parts with Pure Tone, Moderate Force, Radi- 
cal and Median Stress. The child uses Plaintive Quality, Sub- 
dued Force and Intermittent Stress. Avoid affectation. 

1. It must be sweet, in childhood, to give back 
The spirit to its Maker; ere the heart 

Has grown familiar with the paths of sin, 

And sown, to garner up, its bitter fruits. 

I knew a boy whose infant feet had trod 

Upon the blossoms of some seven springs, 

And when the eighth came round, and called him out 

To revel in its light, he turned away, 

And sought his chamber, to lie down and die. 

2. 'Tvvas night; he summoned his accustomed friends, 
And on this wise bestowed his last bequest: 

" Mother, I am dying now! 
There's a deep suffocation in my breaft 
As if some heavy hand my bosom pressed; 

And on my brow, 

I feel the cold sweat stand; 
My lips grow dry and tremulous, and my breath 
Comes feebly on. O! tell me, is this death! 

3. " Mother, your hand, 
Here, lay it on my wrist, 

And place the other thus beneath my head, 
And say, sweet mother, say, when I am dead, 



MODULATION. 1 43 

Shall I be missed? • 

Never beside your knee, 
Shall I kneel down again at night to pray; 
Nor with the morning wake, and sing the lay 

You taught me. 

" O, at the time of prayer, 
When you look round, and see a vacant seat, 
You will not wait then for my coming feet; 

You'll miss me there. 

Father, I'm going home! 
To the good home you spoke of, that blest land 
Where it is one bright summer always, and 

Storms do never come. 

" I must be happy then, 
From pain and death you say I shall be free, 
That sickness never enters there, and we 

Shall meet again. 

Brother, the little spot 
I used to call my garden, where long hours 
We've stayed to watch the budding things and flowers, 

Forget it not! 

" Plant there some box or pine, 
Something that lives in winter, and will be 
A verdant offering to my memory, 

And call it mine! 

" Sister, my young rose-tree, 
That all the spring has been my pleasant care, 
Just putting forth its leaves so green and fair, 

I give to thee; 

And when its roses bloom, 
I shall be far away, my short life done; 
But will you not bestow a single one 

Upon my tomb? 

" Now, mother, sing the tune 
You sang last night. I'm weary, and must sleep, 
Who was it called my name? Nay, do not weep, 

You'll all come soon!" 



144 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

9. Morning spread o'er earth her rosy wings, 
And that meek sufferer, cold and ivory pale, 
Lay on his couch asleep. The gentle air 
Came through the open window, freighted with 
The savory odors of the early spring; 
He breathed it not; the laugh of passers-by 
Jarred like a discord in some mournful tune, 
But wakened not his slumber. He was dead. 

For other illustrations of Intermittent Stress, see "Give 
Me Three Grains of Corn, Mother," "The Miser's Death," and 
" Good Night, Papa," in Brown's Popular Readings No. 2. 



PITCH, 

Pitch is the degree of elevation or depression of sound 
above or below the keynote. 

1. We say that one tone is higher than another when the number 
of vibrations produced in the utterance of one is greater than the other. 

2. Pitch in music is determined by the unvarying musical scale, 
and transitions from high to low, or the reverse, are made by steps; 
while in speech the appropriate pitch depends upon the sentiment to be 
expressed and the construction of the vocal organs of the speaker; and 
the various changes are made by slides of the voice called the concrete 
movement. 

3. A number of persons singing the same piece of music would 
employ the same pitch, but if these same persons read the same selec- 
tion, though it require a high or low pitch, there is scarcely any proba- 
bility that their voices would be pitched upon the same key; and yet, 
each, using Ms appropriate pitch for the sentiment, would read it cor- 
rectly. In the first instance the pitch is determined by musical instru- 
ments; in the latter by the voices of the respective individuals. 

4. All that has been said concerning the influence of emotion in 
determining the appropriate element in vocal expression applies to 
pitch. These conditions operate directly upon the vocal organs — tension 
of the vocal chords, producing a high pitch, arises from exaltation of 
spirit; relaxation of these chords, producing low pitch, accompanies 



MODULATION. 145 

mental depression; while a tranquil state of mind leaves the vocal chords 
in their natural condition, and a pitch midway between high and low will 
be selected. 

DIVISIONS OF PITCH. 

Since the sentiment determines the appropriate pitch, three 
divisions are naturally formed, which we designate high, middle 
and low. 

1. These divisions are not absolute, and have no definite place on 
the musical scale. They vary according to intensity of feeling and the 
natural key of different voices. 

2. Each of these divisions has an extended compass, since many 
emotions that are classed as exciting differ widely in degree and in their 
influence upon individuals; hence, we may have pitch high, moderately 
high, and very high, and the same is true of low pitch. The pupil must 
decide from the intensity of the sentiment what degree of high or low 
pitch he shall use, bearing in mind that the greater the agitation from 
joyous or angry emotions, the higher the pitch; and, conversely, the 
greater the depression from emotions of solemnity or grief, the lower 
the pitch. 

EXERCISES. 

Pronounce each name in the following list with pure tone, 
moderate force, radical stress, as you would if calling to the 
individuals situated at distances indicated by the number of feet 
opposite his name. Repeat the names in reverse order, and 
afterward promiscuously, always imagining the distance to 
which your voice is to be heard: 

Very low pitch 5 feet — Thomas Hall. 

Low pitch 10 feet — Henry Jones. 

Moderately low pitch 20 feet — Samuel Taylor. 

Middle pitch 40 feet— David Cole. 

Moderately high pitch 80 feet — James Temple. 

High pitch 160 feet— Robert Morris. 

Very high pitch 320 feet— Edward Blake. 

Begin with one and count to ten, starting with your lowest 
pitch, and ending with your highest. Reverse the order. 
JMaintain a moderate force. Avoid the musical scale. 



146 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



MIDDLE PITCH. 



The Middle Pitch is used in our ordinary conversation in 
the delivery of narrative, descriptive and didactic thought, and 
in the introduction to- lectures, orations and sermons. 



THE MUSIC OF THE HUMAN VOICE. 

WILLIAM RUSSELL. 

Read in a clear, full, pure, earnest tone. Use Moderate 
Force, Radical Stress, with Middle Pitch. Avoid anything 
strained or artificial. 

1. Willis, in his essay on "Unwritten Music," has placed the 
appropriate sound of the female voice among the most beautiful of its 
forms; and there is, unquestionably, a fine analogy between the sound of 
the running brook, the note of the wood-bird, the voice of a happy child 
the low breathing of a flute, and the clear, soft tone of a woman's voice, 
when it utters the natural music of home — the accents of gentleness and 
love. 

2. To a well-tuned ear, there is a rich, deep melody in the distinct- 
ive bass of the male voice, in its subdued tones. But the keynote of 
poetry seems to have been lent to woman. On the ear of infancy and 
childhood, her voice was meant to fall as a winning prelude to all the 
other melodies of nature; the human nerves are attuned, accordingly, to 
the breath of her voice; and, through life, the chords of the heart respond 
most readily to her touch. 

8. Yet how often is this result impeded by the processes of artifi- 
cial culture; by the over-excitement of mind and nerve, attending excess- 
ive application; by that unwise neglect of health and healthful action, 
which dims the eye and deadens the ear to beauty, and robs life of the 
joyous and sympathetic spirit which is native to childhood; and which, 
otherwise, would ever be gushing forth in notes of gladness and endear- 
ment, the physical not less than the moral charm of human utterance. 

4. There are beautiful exceptions, undoubtedly, to this general 
fact of ungainly habit. But the ground of just complaint is, that there 
is no provision made in our systems of education for the cultivation of 



MODULATION. 147 

one of woman's peculiar endowments— an attractive voice. Our girls do 
not come home to us, after their period of school life, qualified to read 
with effect in their own language. There is wanting in their voices that 
adaptation of tone to feeling, which is the music of the heart in read- 
ing; there is wanting that clear, impressive style which belongs to the 
utterance of cultivated taste and judgment, and which enhances every 
sentiment by appropriate emphasis and pause; there is even a want of 
that distinct articulation which alone can make sound the intelligible 
medium of thought. 

HIGH PITCH. 

High Pitch is used in calling, commanding and shouting, 
in the delivery of animated, earnest and joyous sentiments, and 
in the emotions of gayety, gladness, exidtation and triumph. 

High Pitch combined with Pure Tone and Full Force pro- 
duces loudness. 

EXERCISES. 

1. " Victory I Victory! " is the shout. 

2. " Oh, spare my child, my joy, my pride; 

Oh give me back my child! " she cried. 

3. Ring joyous chords! ring out again 
A swifter still and a wilder strain! 



LIBERTY OR DEATH-MARCH, 1795. 

PATRICK HENRY. 

High Pitch. 

This is a favorite selection for oratorical drill. Many 
prizes and honors attest its worth as a contest declamation. 
Let the quality be a strong Orotund, the force Full, and the 
Stress vary w T ith the sentiment. Begin in conversational tones. 

1. Mr. President: It is natural to man to indulge in the illu- 
sions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, 
and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is 



148 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for 
liberty ? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, 
see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern 
their temporal salvation? 

2. For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am will- 
ing to know the whole truth — to know the worst, and to provide for it. I 
have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of 
experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past; 
and, judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the con- 
duct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes 
with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the 
House. 

3. Is it that insidious emile with which our petition has been 
lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet! Suffer 
not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this 
gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike prepara- 
tions which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies 
necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown our- 
selves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win 
back our love? 

4. Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements 
of war and subjugation — the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask, 
sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to 
submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? 
Has Great Britain any enemy in this quarter of the world, to call for all 
this accumulation of navies and armies? 

5. No, sir, she has none; they are meant for us: they can be 
meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those 
chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And 
what have we to oppose to them? 

6. Shall we try argument t Sir, we have been trying that for the 
last — ten — years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? 
nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is 
capable, but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and 
humble supplication? What terms shall w T e find which have not been 
already exhausted t 

7. Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer. Sir, 
we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm that is now 
coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated', we have suppli- 
cated; we have PROSTRATED ourselves before the throne, and have 



MODULATION. 149 

implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry 
and Parliament. 

8. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have pro- 
duced additional violence and insult', our supplications have been disre- 
garded; and we have been spurned with contempt from the foot of the 
throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of 
peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. 

9. If we wish to be free; if we mean to preserve inviolate thope 
inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending; if 
we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have 
been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to 
abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtai)ied,we 
must fight! I repeat it, sir: We must fight! An appeal to arms and to 
the God of Hosts is all that is left us! 

10. They tell us, sir, that we are weak — unable to cope with so 
formidable an adversary; but when shall we be stronger f Will it be the 
next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, 
and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we 
gather strength by irresolution and inaction ? Shall we acquire the 
means of effectual resistance by lying supinety on our backs, and hugging 
the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us 
hand and foot? 

11. Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means 
which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of 
people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that 
which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send 
against us. 

12. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone: there is a just 
God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up 
friends to fight our battles for us. The battle is not to the strong alone: 
it is to the vigilant — the active — the brave. 

13. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to 
desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat 
but in submission or slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking 
may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable,, and let it 
come! I repeat it, sir: Let it come! 

14. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, 
" Peace! peace! " but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The 
next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of 
resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we 
here idle? 



150 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

15. What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have ? Is 
life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains 
and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others 
may take, but, as for me, give me liberty, or Give Me Death! 

See also " The Revolutionary Rising." 



LOW PITCH. 

Low Pitch is used in the delivery of solemn, serious, pathetic, 
and devotional thought, and in giving expression to emotions of 
awe, melancholy, gloom, despair, horror, reverence, and ador- 
ation. 

EXERCISES. 

1. 'Tis a time for memory and for tears. 

2. Now o'er the one-half world nature seems dead. 

3. Toll, toll, toll, thou bell by billows swung. 

4. 'Tis now the very witching time of night. 



THE LONG AGO. 

B. F. TAYLOR. 



Use Pure Tone, Subdued Force, Median Stress, and Low 
Pitch. This selection is well adapted to cultivate the musical 
element, so pleasing in the expression of pathos and solemnity. 
Avoid everything unreal. 

1. Oh! a wonderful stream is the river Time, 

As it runs through the realm of tears, 
With a faultless rhythm and a musical rhyme 
And a broader sweep and a surge sublime, 

As it blends in the ocean of years ! 

2. How the winters are drifting like flakes of snow, 

And the summers like birds between, 
And the years in the sheaf, how they come and they go 



MODULATION. 151 

On the river's breast with its ebb and flow, 
As it glides in the shadow and sheen! 

3. There's a Magical Isle up the river Time, 

Where the softest of airs are playing. 
There's a cloudless sky and tropical clime, 
And a song as sweet as a vesper chime, 

And the Junes with the roses are straying. 

4. And the name of this Isle is "the Long Ago," 

And we bury our treasures there; 
There are brows of beauty and bosoms of snow, 
There are heaps of dust — oh! we love them so — 

And there are trinkets and tresses of hair. 

5. There are fragments of songs that nobody sings, 

There are parts of an infant's prayer, 
There's a lute unswept and a harp without strings, 
There are broken vows and pieces of rings, 

And the garments our dead used to wear. 

6. There are hands that are waved when the fairy shore 

By the mirage is lifted in air, 
And we sometimes hear through the turbulent roar 
Sweet voices we heard in the days gone before, 

When the wind down the river was fair. 

7. Oh! remembered for aye be that blessed Isle, 

All the day of life until night; 
And when evening glows with its beautiful smile, 
And our eyes are closing in slumbers awhile, 

May the greenwood of soul be in sight. 

For other examples, see " God's Beautiful City," "David's 
Lament," and "The Suppliant." 



MOVEMENT. 



Movement is the degree of rapidity or slowness with which 
words are uttered in continuous discourse. 

1. Movement, like other elements of vocal expression, depends up- 
on the nature of the thought to be spoken; and as the moods of mind, like 



152 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

an April sky, are constantly changing, — now buoyant with hope or ex- 
hilarated with joy, and anon sobered in serious contemplation or depres- 
sed by grief, there is necessarily little uniformity in the rate of human 
speech. 

2. The slow and measured tread, timed in unison with the mourn- 
ful dirge, suggests gloom and sorrow; while the lively step of the merry 
dancers in fling or reel, betray the utmost animation of mind and body. 
" The grave psalm and the song of serious sentiment express, in their 
measured regularity, the adaptation of gentle and moderate movement to 
tranquil and sedate feeling." 

3. A perfect command of every degree of movement is essential to 
correct and effective reading or speaking. Ignorance of this element 
gives the reading and declamation of our pupils that monotonous drawl 
which renders exercises so insipid and tedious to visitors. 

4. Appropriate movement is indispensable in rousing and retain- 
ing the attention of an audience; hence, no pains should be spared to 
adapt the movement of every selection to the sentiment intended to be 
conveyed. 

CLASSES OF MOVEMENT. 

The natural divisions of Movements are, Ratid, Moderate 
and Slow, with the further subdivisions of very rapid and very 
slow. 

MODERATE MOVEMENT. 

Moderate Movement is used in unimpassioned discourse, in 
the exjjression of narrative, descriptive and didactic thought, and 
in the beginning of orations. 

The term " Moderate" must not be understood as represent- 
ing a uniform rate. It includes a rate of movement that is 
constantly varying with the sentiment between rapid and slow. 



TACT AND TALENT. 

Moderate Movement. 



1. Talent is some thing, but tact is everything. Talent is serious, 
sober, grave, and respectable; tact is all that, and more too. It is not a 



MODULATION. 153 

sixth sense, but it is the life of all the five. It is the open eye, the quick 
ear, the judging taste, the keen smell, and the lively touch; it is the in- 
terpreter of all riddles, the surmounter of all difficulties, the remover of 
all obstacles. It is useful in all places and at all times; it is useful in 
solitude, for it shows a man into the world; it is useful in society, for it 
shows him his w T ay through the world. 

2. Talent is power, tact is skill; talent is weight, tact is momentum; 
talent knows what to do, tact knows how to do it; talent makes a man 
respectable, tact will make him respected; talent is wealth, tact is ready 
money. For all the practical purposes, tact carries it against talent ten 
to one. 

3. Take them to the theater, and put them against each other on 
the stage, and talent shall produce you a tragedy that shall scarcely live 
long enough to be condemned, while tact keeps the house in a roar, night 
after night, with its successful farces. There is no want of dramatic 
talent, there is no want of dramatic tact; but they are seldom together; 
so we have successful pieces which are not respectable, and respectable 
pieces which are not successful. 

4. Take them to the bar and let them shake their learned curls at 
each other in legal rivalry: talent sees its way clearly, but tact is first at 
its journey's end. Talent has many a compliment from the bench, but 
tact touches fees. Talent makes the world wonder that it gets on no 
faster, tact arouses astonishment that it gets on so fast. And the secret 
is, that it has no weight to carry; it makes no false steps; it hits the right 
nail on the head; it loses no time; it takes all hints; and, b}^ keeping its 
eye on the weather-cock, is ready to take advantage of every wind that 
blows. 

5. Take them into the church: talent has alwaj'S something worth 
hearing, tact is sure of abundance of hearers; talent may obtain a living, 
tact will make one; talent gets a good name, tact a great one; talent con- 
vinces, tact converts; talent is an honor to the profession, tact gains honor 
from the profession. 

6. Take them to court: talent feels its weight, tact finds its way; 
talent commands, tact is obeyed; talent is honored with approbation, and 
tact is blessed by preferment. Place them in the senate: talent has the 
ear of the house, but tact wins its heart, and has its votes; talent is fit for 
employment, but tact is fitted for it. It has a knack of slipping into 
place with a sweet silence and glibness of movement, as a billiard-ball in- 
sinuates itself into the pocket. 

7. It seems to know every thing, without learning any thing. It 
has served an extemporary apprenticeship; it wants no drilling; it never 



154 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

ranks in the awkward squad; it has no left hand, no deaf ear; no blind 
side. It puts on no look of wondrous wisdom, it has no air of profund- 
ity, but plays with the details of place as dexterously as a well-taught 
hand flourishes over the keys of the piano-forte. It has all the air of 
common-place, and all the force and power of genius. 



SLOW MOVEMENT. 



Slow Movement is used iu the expression of sentiments of 
reverence, solemnity, sublimity, grandeur, pathos, awe, melan- 
choly, despair, gloom, adoration and devotion. 

DEATH OF THE WE. 

ANONYMOUS. 

Slow Movement. 

A most impressive recitation when well rendered. Keep 
the tone pure and force subdued. Let the pitch vary with the 
change of sentiment. Be natural — be sincere. 

1. She had lain all day in a stupor, breathing with heavy-laden 
breath, but as the sun sank to rest in the far-off western sky, and the red 
glow on the wall of the room faded into dense shadows, awoke and called 
feebly to her aged partner, who was sitting motionless by the bed-side. 
He bent over his dying wife and took her wan, wrinkled hand in his. 

2. "Is it night?" she asked in tremulous tones, looking at him 
with eyes that saw not. 

"Yes," he answered softly; "it is growing dark." 

" Where are the children ? " she queried; "are they all in? " 

3. Poor old man! How could he answer her? The children had 
slept for years in the old churchj'ard. 

" The children are safe," answered the old man, tremulously; "don't 
think of them, Jane. Think of yourself. Does the way seem dark?" 

4. " My trust is in Thee. Let me never be confounded. What 
does it matter if the way is dark? " 

"I'd rather walk with God in the dark, than walk alone in the 
light." 



MODULATION. 155 

" I'd rather walk with Him by faith, than walk alone by sight." 

5. "John, where's little Charley?" she asked. Her mind was 
again in the past. The grave dust of twenty years had lain on Charley's 
golden hair, but the mother had never forgotten him. The old man 
patted her. cold hands that had labored so hard that they were seamed 
and wrinkled and calloused with years of toil, and the wedding ring was 
worn to a mere thread of gold — and then he pressed his lips to them and 
cried; they had encouraged and strengthened him in every trial of life. 
Why, what a woman she had been! What a leader in Israel! Always 
with the gift of prayer or service. They had stood at many a death-bed 
together — closed eyes of loved ones, and then sat down with the Bible 
between them to read the promise. Now she was about to cross the dark 
river alone. 

6. And it was strange and sad to the yellow-haired grand-daughter 
left them to hear her babble of walks in the woods, of gathering May 
flowers and strolling with John, of petty household cares that she had 
always put down with strong, resolute hand, of wedding feasts and 
death bed triumphs; and when at midnight she heard the Bridegroom's 
voice, and the old man, bending over her, cried pitifully, and the grand- 
daughter kissed her pale brow, there was a solemn joy in her voice as 
she spoke the names of her children, one by one, as if she saw them with 
immortal eyes, and with one glad smile put on immortality. 

7. They led the old man sobbing away, and when he saw her again 
the glad morning sun was shining, the air was jubilant with the song "of 
birds, and she lay asleep on the couch under the north window where he 
had seen her so often lie down to rest while waiting for the Sabbath bell. 
And she wore the same black silk, and the string of gold beads about 
her thin neck and the folds of white tulle. Only now the brooch with 
his miniature was wanting, and in its place was a white rose and a spray 
of cedar — she had loved cedar— she had loved to sing over her work: 

" Oh, may I in His courts he seen, 
Like a young cedar, fresh and green." 

8. But the strange transformations that were there! The wrinkles 
were gone. The traces of age and pain and weariness were smoothed 
out; the face had grown strangely young, and a placid smile was on the 
pale lips. The old man was awed by this likeness to the bride of his 
youth. He kissed the unresponsive lips, and then said softly: 

9. "You have found heaven first, Janet, but you'll come for me 
soon. It's our first parting in more than seventy years, but it won't be 
for long!" 



156 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

10. And it was not. The winter snow has not yet fallen, and there 
is another grave, and today would have been their diamond wedding! 
We had planned much for it, and I wonder — I wonder — but no! Where 
they are there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage. 

For other examples of Slow Movement, see "Hamlet's 
Soliloquy " and the fourth stanza of " The Bells." 



RAPID MOVEMENT. 

Rapid Movement is used in the expression of lively, gay 
and joyous thought and exciting emotions emanating from 
alarm, joy, mirth or fear. 

PIANO MUSIC 

This piece is adapted for concert recitation. If well ren- 
dered by a dozen students, with appropriate gesture, the effect 
will be very amusing. 

First a soft and gentle tinkle, 
Gentle as the rain-drop's sprinkle, 

Then a stop, 

Fingers drop; 
Now begins a merry trill, 
Like a cricket in a mill; 
JN ow a short, uneasy motion, 
Like a ripple on the ocean. 
See the fingers dance about, 
Hear the notes come tripping out; 
How they mingle in the tingle 
Of the everlasting jingle, 
Like to hailstones on a shingle, 
Or the ding-dong, dangle-dingle 
Of a sheep-bell! Double, single, 
Now they come in wilder gushes, 
Up and down the player rushes, 
Quick as squirrels, sweet as thrushes. 
Now the keys begin to clatter 



H MODULATION. 157 

Like the music of a platter 

When the maid is stirring batter. 

O'er the music comes a change; 

Every tone is wild and strange; 

Listen to the lofty tumbling, 

Hear the mumbling, fumbling, jumbling, 

Like the rumbling and the grumbling 

Of the thunder from its slumbering 

Just awaking. Now it's taking 

To the quaking, like a fever-and-ague shaking; 

Heads are aching, something's breaking. 

Goodness gracious! Ain't it wondrous, 

Rolling round, above and under us, 

Like old Vulcan's stroke so thunderous? 

Now 'tis louder, but the powder 

Will be all exploded soon; 

For the only way to do, 

When the music's nearly through, 

Is to muster all your muscle for a bang, 

Striking twenty notes together with a clang; 

Hit the treble with a twang, 

Give the base an awful whang, 

And close the whole performance 

With a slam — bang — whang! 

Swikton's Fifth Reader. 

MELODY. 

Melody (Gr. sweet song) is a succession of pleasing tones 
having but a limited compass above or below the initial note, 
with prevailing pitch above the natural. 

1. Melody is one of the most valuable elements the speaker may 
employ in attracting and retaining the attention of an audience. 

2. The element is employed in those rhythmical compositions, 
whether prose or poetry, expressing pathos, tranquil pleasure said peaceful 
repose. 

3. To cultivate melodious tones, practice frequently upon such 
words as calm, name, mine, thine, wailing, gone, moaning, mound, home, 
throne, wandering, etc., with effusive utterance, pure tone, subdued force, 



158 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

median stress, slightly elevated pitch, and long quantity, imparting to 
your utterance a rich musical intonation. Let the tones be sweet, clear, 
and musical. 

THOSE EVENING BELLS. 

THOMAS MOORE. 

Excellent for the cultivation of clear, sweet, mellow and 
musical tones. Let the utterance be mainly effusive, the tone 
pure, the force moderate, the prevailing stress median and the 
movement moderate. Avoid affectation. 

1. Those evening bells, those evening bells! 
How many a tale their music tells 

Of youth and home and that sweet time 
When last I heard their soothing chime! 

2. Those joyous hours are passsd away; 
And many a heart that then was gay 
Within the tomb now darkly dwells, 
And hears no more those evening bells. 

3. And so 'twill be when I am gone: 
That tuneful peal will still ring on; 
While other bards shall walk these dells, 
And sing your praise, sweet evening bells. 



WHEN THE COWS COME HOME. 

Apply the same elements as above to this selection. Give 
it frequent practice, and your tones will be much improved. 

1. When klingle, klangle, klingle, 

Far down the dusty dingle, 
The cows are coming home; 
Now sweet and clear, now faint and low, 
The airy tinklings come and go, 
Like chimings from the far-off tower, 
Or patterings of an April shower 



MODULATION. 159 

That make the daises grow; 
Ko-ling, ko-lang, kolinglelingle, 
Far down the darkening dingle, 
The cows come slowly home. 



o 



And old-time friends, and twilight plays, 
And starry nights and sunny days, 
Come trooping up the misty ways 
When the cows come home. 

8. Through violet air we see the town, 
And the summer sun a-sliding down, 
And the maple in the hazel glade 
Throws down the path a longer shade, 

And the hills are growing brown; 

To-ring, to-rang, toringleringle, 

By threes and fours and single 

The cows come slowly home. 

4. The same sweet sound of worldless psalm, 
The same sweet June day rest and calm, 
The same sweet smell of buds and balm, 
When the cows come home. 

MISCELLANEOUS VOCAL EXERCISES. 

The following exercises are designed as a review of pre- 
ceding principles. They should receive much attention. 

Pronounce with exaggerated precision the following words : 

Peremptory, comparable, despicable, obligatory, admiralty, 

intricacy, allegorist, conscientiousness, lugubriously, consecu- 

tiveness, irrecognizable, tergiversation, irrefragable, hospitable, 

remediable, objurgate. 

SOUND WORDS. 

1. Many words are derived from peculiar sounds, associative 
impressions and phases of nature whose correct pronunciation often 
gives them a deeper significance than their printed form affords. 

2. Such words furnish excellent examples for drill in imitative 
modulation, expressive speech, and play upon words in connecting sound 
with sense. 



160 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



3. Pronounce the following words in the most expressive manner 
possible, so that every element, facial expression, and attitude shall be 
an echo to the sound: 



gay 


clear 


whizz 


dance 


fierce 


breathe 


dark 


hark 


swing 


scream 


quick 


whisper 


hate 


sweet 


crash 


laugh 


rouse 


rumble 


roll 


gush 


roar 


grind 


freeze 


staggering 


bold 


deep 


howl 


clang- 


loathe 


shivering 


wild 


cold 


hiss 


dash 


shriek 


clatter 


run 


reel 


drear 


jump 


flash 


staggering 


stop 


glib 


thrust 


splash 


thrill 


wrangle 


old 


long 


cool 


3'oung 


timid 


thunder 



PERSONATION. 

In expressing the following sentiments, emotions and pas- 
sions, the student will place, "He is," or "Is he" before the 
word "superannuated" as he may wish to declare or ask the 
question; as, "lie is superannuated" or "Is he superannu- 
ated? " 

Before attempting to express "the thought the student must, 
by an intense mental effort, conceive and intensely feel what he 
is about to utter. 



pity 


disgust 


triumph 


amazement 


grief 


pathos 


contempt 


intoxication 


scorn 


ridicule 


remorse 


hatred, rage 


repose 


terror 


submission 


exultation, joy 


perplexity 


weariness 


affectation 


humcr, laughter 



MEDLEY DRILL. 

The following quotations from many pieces afford an ad- 
mirable medley for Vocal and Gesture concert drill. The 
gestures are indicated by italicized words. 

1. Hear me for my cause; and be silent that you may hear. Be- 
lieve me for mine honor ; and have respect to mine honor, that you may 



MODULATION. 161 

believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you 
may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly — any dear friend 
of Caesar's — to him I say, that Brutus's love to Caesar was not less than 
his. 

2. Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his chin 

And staidly, solemnly, waded in ; 

And his broad brimmed hat he pulled down tight, 

Over his forehead so cold and white. 

'■]. And see! she stirs! 

She starts — she moves — she seems to feel 
The thrill of life along her keel, 
And spurning with her foot the ground, 
With one exulting, joyous bound 
She leaps into the ocean's arms. 

4. Let us extend our ideas over the vast field in which we are 
called to act. Let our object be our country, our whole country, and 
nothing but our country .~ 

5. Go, ring the bells and fire the guns, 

And fling the starry banner out! 
Shout Freedom till your lisping ones 
Give back their cradle shout! 

6. Rouse ye, Romans! rouse ye, Slaves! 

Have ye brave sons? Look in the next fierce brawl 
To see them die. Have ye fair daughters? Look 
To see them live, torn from your arms, distained, 
Dishonored: and if ye dare call for justice, 
Be answered by the lash. 

7. She leaned far out on the window-sill. 
And shook it forth with a royal will, 

" Shoot if you must this old gray head, 
But spare your country's/c^," she said. 

8. Three million of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and 
in such & country as this which we possess, are invincible by any force 
which our enemy can send against us. 

9. He sets, and his last beams 
Fall on a slave; not such as, swept along 



162 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

By the full tide of power, the conqueror led 
To crimson glory and undying fame; 
But — base — ignoble slaves. 

10. Then straightway plunging with all his might, 
Away to the left — his friend to the right, 
Apart they went from this world of sin, 

But at last together they entered in. 

11. Blaze with your serried columns! 

I will not bend the knee; 
The shackles ne'er again shall bind 
The arm which now is free. 

12. How the gay sledges, like meteors, flash by, 
Bright for a moment, then lost to the eye; 

Ringing, 

Stringing, 

Dashing they go, 
Over the crust of the beautiful snow. 

1 3. " To all the truth we tell— we tell," 

Shouted in ecstasies a bell; 
" Come, all ye wear} r wanderers, see! 
Our Lord has made salvation free."' 

1 4. And as he spoke he raised the child, 
To dash it 'mid the breakers wild. 

15. You all do know this mantle; 

Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through, 
See what a rent the envious Casca made; 
Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed- 
And as he plucked his cursed steel a wag 
Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it! 

16. But Douglas round him drew his cloak, 
Folded his arms, and thus he spoke: — 

u My manors, halls and bowers shall still 
Be open at my sovereign's will, 
To each one whom he lists, howe'er 
Unmeet to be the owner's peer; 
My castles are my king's alone, 
From turret to foundation stone, — 
The hand of Douglas is his own." 



MODULATION. 163 

17. And lo! from the assemble/1 crowd 
There rose a shout, prolonged and loud, 
That to the ocean seemed to say, 
"Take her, bridegroom old and gray, 
Take her to thy protecting arms 

With all her youth and all her charms." 

18. That very night the Romans landed on our coast, I saw the 
breast that had nourished me trampled by the hoof of the war-horse, the 
bleeding body of my father flung amid the blazing rafters of our dwell- 
ing. 

19. And, rising on his theme's broad wing, 

And grasping in his nervous hand 
The imaginary battle brand, 
In face of death, he dared to fling 
Defiance to a tyrant king! 

20. Flashed all their sabres bare, 
Flashed as they turned in air, 
SaVring the gunners there, 
Charging our army, while 
All the world wondered: 
Plunged in the battery smoke, 
Right through the line they broke; 

Cossack and Russian 
Reeled from the sabre stroke, 
Shattered and sundered.. 



164 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



ORIGINAL DISCOURSE. 



1. Thus far the student has been instructed in the manner only of 
expressing the thoughts of others. While the ability to comprehend in- 
stantly and render effectively an author's thoughts as outlined upon the 
printed page is an accomplishment of great value to all, such an attain- 
ment is not sufficient for the broad and general culture required by our 
times and institutions. 

2. The responsibilities thrust upon us by the republican form of gov- 
ernment under which we live, perpetuated in its purity and efficiency by 
the logic of a Choate, the wisdom of a Webster, and the eloquence of a 
Clay, demand attainments of a higher order than mere skill in the 
pathetic, forcible, or eloquent repetition of some popular composition. 

3. The citizen who would form at least a unit in the Republic 
must be competent to wield the pen, and when called upon, be prepared 
to address his countrymen intelligently upon the questions of the day. 
His duty to himself and country demand that whether he write or speak, 
his performance should be creditable and effective. 

4. A ready, vigorous pen and speech, like reading and declamation, 
come from instruction, practice and criticism. 

EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEECH. 

1. The greatest excellence to which the student, ambitious of ora- 
torical fame, may aspire, is comprised in the ability to speak fluently, 
logically, and effectively, upon any subject, at any time, without previous 
preparation. 

2. This accomplishment may be termed " thinking on one's feet." 
It is not the result of any spontaneous development. It comes from 
study, practice, — work. 

3. The power to charm the heart, and steal away the senses, to 
divert the mind from its own devisings, and hold an audience in breath- 
less spell, as the orator paints the rosy tints of heavenly longings, or 
leads the imagination down through the labyrinths of wonderland, or 
depicts with lightning tongue and thunder tones, the horrors of the 
doomed, comes not by nature, but by work, — work, — work. 



ORIGINAL DISCOURSE. 165 

4. Whether this so-called gift be assisted by the early efforts of a 
Demosthenes declaiming over the sea-beat cliffs of Attica, or the ha- 
rangues of a youthful Clay before a group of oxen, perfection in delivery 
is attained only by frequent and long-continued practice, based upon ac- 
curate observation and zealous study. 

THE TWO FORMS OF EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEECH. 

1. CONVERSATION. 

2. PUBLIC SPEAKING. 

1. Conversation is the general and familiar interchange of senti- 
ments. • 

2. No form of social intercourse furnishes so much humanizing 
enjoyment as pleasing and entertaining conversation. Notwithstanding 
the pleasure it affords, few people, even among the educated classes, are 
capable of entertaining a company by continuous, intelligent discourse. 

3. The student is here reminded that unconnected remarks, fol- 
lowed by ambiguous or meaningless monosyllabic rejoinders, interspersed 
with nauseating repetition of such expletives as "Yes, indeed," "You 
don't say so, " "You bet," etc., do not constitute elevating discourse. 

4. Conversation is an art, and as such it is capable of cultivation 
to approximate perfection. Success in the higher forms of speech de- 
pends upon the conversational skill of the aspirant for oratorical honors. 

GENERAL RULES FOR CONVERSATION. 

1. Breathe without gasping or attracting attention. 

2. Articulate distinctly, but do not impress your hearers with the 
idea that you are going through an exercise in vocal gymnastics. 

3. Be natural; remember it is yourself you are impersonating, and 
you will be judged accordingly. 

4. In general, use a full, pure tone, moderate force, radical stress, 
middle pitch, and moderate movement. In those parts of your conversa- 
tion requiring peculiar description and personation, use the appropriate 
elements. 

5. Enter into the spirit of the subject with all your mind. Culti- 
vate the habit of listening to others. This is at least polite. Attention 
to what others say is the relay from which you are enabled to continue 
your part of the conversation intelligibly and agreeabh' to the other 
members of your company. 

6. Avoid pedantry, affectation, and all mannerisms calculated to de- 
tract from the general topic of conversation. 



166 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

7. Conceive, summon, and express your best thoughts. 

8. Employ the simplest, purest, and most expressive language at 
your command. 

9. Avoid unpleasant personalities, particularly with reference to 
those who are absent. 

10. Avoid topics of little general interest to your listeners. 

11. However familiar to the company the condition of the weather 
and streets may be, their prolonged discussion is not sufficiently impor- 
tant to justify more than a passing remark. 

12. Indulge sparingly in raillery and cutting repartee. A merciless 
wit is never esteemed above a treacherous weapon. 

GENERAL RULES FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING. 

1. Public extemporaneous speaking is the delivery of sentiment 
without previous written preparation. 

2. The speaker employs the same elements as in conversation, but 
upon an enlarged scale. To these he may, as occasion requires, add 
depth and fullness to his quality, producing the grand tones of the Oro- 
tund; he may increase his force, raise his pitch, and indulge in a greater 
variety of stress, movement, and pauses than in ordinary conversation. 
In addition to these departures he may energize and embellish his de- 
livery by gesture and facial expression; and, generally, he may play upon 
the accidental elements in arousing the emotions of an audience more 
than would be proper in the most animated conversation. 

3. Of all professions recognized by civilized man, probably none 
requires in its perfection so many and varied accomplishments as that of 
oratory. The public lecturer who leads the van in the march of science 
for the improvement of society; the statesman, who guards the nation's 
rights and shapes his country's destiny; the man of Gocl, who seeks to 
purify the human heart and save a fallen race — all must wield the won- 
drous power of speech. 

4. How far the orators of the past have possessed this comprehen- 
sive art of arts is largely answered in the social, governmental, and 
religious freedom of modern times. 

GENERAL REQUISITES. 

1. The orator should have a liberal education. 

2. He should be actuated by the noblest impulses. 

3. He should be endowed with the highest attributes of humanhy. 

4. Every physical organ should be subordinate to the will. 



ORIGINAL DISCOURSE. 167 

5. Pie should possess the most extended information upon all sub- 
jects. To this end, he should have frequent practice in reading, conver- 
sation, speaking and writing. 

6. The summation of all these qualifications, Cicero tells us, marks 
the perfect man. 

SPECIFIC RULES FOR EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING. 

1. Have something to say worth hearing. 

2. Know more of your subject than do any of your auditors. 

3. Be wide awake and thoroughly in earnest. 

4. Believe and feel intensely all 3-011 say. 

5. Merge yourself into the thoughts you are uttering. 

6. Look into the eyes of your hearers, not over their heads. 

7. Cultivate facility and elegance of expression by using good 
language at all times. 

8. Endeavor to hold your hearers that they may not wander from 
the subject. 

9. Be yourself; you cannot personate another with your ideas. 

10. Never lose control of your thoughts, your breath, your speech, 
or your temper. 

11. Avoid all forms of slang; no speaker ever exhausted the 
English language. 

12. Have a complete mastery of all the elements of elocution — 
thus your body and limbs are made subjective to the mental powers. 

13. Think only of what you are going to say; your grammar, rhet- 
oric and elocution will suggest the manner. 

14. If you have five or ten minutes for preparation, think of their 
proposition only. 

15. Command a faultless articulation, an accurate pronunciation, 
and an absolute control of the essential elements of vocal expression. 

16. Carefully study the speeches known to be extemporaneous of 
eminent orators; consider the time, place and circumstance of their 
delivery. 

17. Study the models furnished by Demosthenes, Cicero, Fox, 
Sheridan, Burke, Webster and Clay, and modern orators of recognized 
ability. 

18. Maintain a constant reserve; the orator must appear greater 
than his theme or his effort. 

19. Hold yourself flexibly erect with an active chest. The weight 
should be supported mainly on the balls of the feet, not the heels. 



168 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

20. Keep the voice and speech organs moist, not by drink, but by 
chewing a bit of paper just before using the voice. 

21. Avoid great force in the beginning by studied distinctness and 
deliberate movement. Your audience must be led by measured tones of 
persuasion gradually up to the more intensified forms of expression. 

22. In passing from one sentiment or emotion 1o another, strive to 
feel the emotion before attempting its utterance; words without feeling 
awake no responsive chord among your hearers. 

23. Commit and frequently recite aloud a few excellent passages 
abounding in decided sentiment, absorbing emotion and vehement pas- 
sion. The possession of the words gives the mind opportunity to dwell 
upon the thoughts, and thus their frequent conception and utterance 
trains the nerves, muscles and vocal organs to command the required 
expression at will. 

24. Stop the moment you are done. 

SPEAKING FROM NOTES. 

1. When the speaker has sufficient time to collect and arrange his 
thoughts, he should endeavor to think of all he wishes to say upon the 
subject, and write the heads of his thoughts as they occur, and alter ward 
arrange them in the most appropriate order. 

2. In general, the most pleasing and entertaining matter should 
appear first. The auditors are never so critical as when the speaker steps 
upon the platform. An unfavorable impression once made is too difficult 
to overcome to justify the speaker's giving it an occasion. . 

3. The closing thoughts should possess merit and originality, and 
should be spoken with such sincerity, vigor and eloquence that au audi- 
ence shall respect at least the advocate, if not the sentiment he utters. 

4. Do not be tedious. Do not labor to exhaust your theme. When 
you can no longer talk without stopping to think what next to say, you 
are done, and should stop at once. 



METHOD OF CRITICISM, 



The following plan of estimating the merits of a speaker's 
performance, introduced into a number of literary societies by 
the author, is recommended. It will prove valuable to critics 
of literary societies. The table should be prepared on printed 
sheets and the name of the performer written in the blank, with 
the proper answer placed after each question. This sheet so 
prepared by the critic, and given to the performer, would afford 
the latter much greater benefit than is conferred by the usual 
imperfect systems of criticisms. 



ORIGINAL DISCOURSE. 



169 



Optic's Report on ----- 

delivered by M 

in the-- Hall on the evening of 

... 189 Grade* 

Critic* 

Notf.— An affirmative answer to the following (20) questions, indicated by the 

number 5, denotes the standard of excellence. Approximating degrees of this stand- 
ard are indicated by the numbers 4, 3, 2, and 1, in the order named. 



I. ENTRANCE. 

Is the entrance easy, graceful, self-possessed? 

II. ATTITUDES. 
Are the attitudes natural, flexible, graceful? 

III. ACTION. 
1. Do the motions of the head, trunk and limbs harmonize with the 

changes of thought, sentiment, emotion and passion? 

2< Do the eyes and general facial expression confirm the speaker's state 

ments? 

3. Do the gestures made for emphasis render the speaker's assertions 

more iorcible? 

4. Do the gestures of illustration aid in giving a clearer view of the 

speaker's theme? 

5. Are the gestures graceful, varied, timely, decisive, significant ? 

IV. ENUNCIATION. 

1. Are the sounds freely, fully, correctly, timely and appropriately uttered 

2. Is respiration performed without interfering with the speaker's enun- 

ciation? 

3. Are the speaker's tones formed without unusual effort? 

4. Are the tones free from local or personal peculiarities? 

V. ARTICULATION. 

l Are the syllables distinctly and correctly articulated? 

2. Does each receive its proper force and quantity? 

VI. PRONUNCIATION. 
Is each word pronounced according to prevailing usage, as represented in 
the standard dictionaries? , 



GRADE. 



VII. VOCAL EXPRESSION. 

Do the tones harmonize in quality, force, stress, pitch, movement and 
quantity with the general sentiment? 

Does the speaker's management of slides, waves, emphasis, slur, ca- 
dence and pauses indicate a correct conception of his composition? 

VIII. GENERAL DELIVERY. 

Is the speaker's delivery free from the styles known as affected, con- 
ceited, effeminate, pedantic, pompous, stagy, over-vehement? 

In direct discourses does the speaker look into the eyes of his audi- 
ence? 

In personation and apostrophe does the speaker ignore his audience? 

Does the speaker hold the attention of his audience? 



Grade on a basis of 100. 



170 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS- 



AN AMERICAN EXILE, 

ISAAC HINTON BItOWN. 

In Norfolk Bay, long years ago, where waved 

The nation's flag from mizzen gaff 

Of frigate, sloop, and other warlike craft, 

A group of naval officers, assembled 

On the flag-ship's quarter-deck, discussed 

With earnestness the act by which the State 

Of South Carolina annulled 

The tariff laws of Congress. 

The President's prompt act, 

Despatching Scott to Charleston, ordering 

The execution of the laws by force, 

Had thrilled the nerves of those who bore 

Their country's arms. 

The naval service boasted many men 

Who traced through veins as chivalrous as their sire's 

The blood of Sumter, Pickens, Hayne, 

And other revolutionary patriots; 

And, conscious of a lineage illustrious 

From those who gave the grand Republic birth, 

Their minds were often filled with polities 

Of State; and thus the acts of courts 

And legislatures oft became their theme 

In time of peace as much as warlike deeds 

Of Neptune. 

One of these, in this debate, 
A handsome, sun-brouzed officer of most 
Commandiag mien, became conspicuous 
In warm approval of his State's rash act 
And censure strong of President 
And Congress. While his flashing eye betrayed 
The fierce emotions of his soul, his voice 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 171 

Rang fearful maledictions: "Curse the country 
Whose flag from yonder mizzen floats; the men 
Be cursed, who in the name of government 
Ignore the rights my native State has held supreme." 

Then drawing forth his rapier 

As if in frenzied rage: " My sword's my own, 

My heart is loyal to my native State; 

And here I swear, this blade shall ne'er be drawn 

But in defense of rights this tyrant thing 

Called government usurps, and those its threats 

Would terrify. Its flag be trailed in dust; 

The fate of Carthage be its cursed doom! 

The memory of its present acts, with those 

Who give them shape, go down in blood and shame !" 

Such direful imprecations shocked the ears 

Of those who heard; and, ere the speechless group 

Recovered from their blank amaze, a young 

Lieutenant felled the speaker senseless to 

The deck; then quick before the officer 

Commanding, preferred the charge of treason. 

Court-martial trials are speedy in results, 
The sentence, novel in its terms, was heard 
With unfeigned haughtiness and scorn by him 
Whom it deprived of country: 

" The prisoner, hence, for life, shall be consigned 

To vessels cruising in a foreign sea; 

No tongue to him shall speak his country's name, 

Nor talk to him of aught save daily wants; 

And ever to his sight that country's flag 

Shall be a token that its power lives 

To carry out this sentence." 

* * ^c * # & # * 

In far-off seas, away from kindred hearts 

And native home, the years passed slowly on; 

But pride and stubborn will did not desert 

This strange misguided man; his fate he seemed 

To cherish for the cause he still believed 

W r ould triumph in the end. 

Yet to and fro his narrow bounds he paced, 



172 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Alone amid a frigate's crew. No cheering word 

His yearning heart in time could e'er expect 

From stricken mother, weeping wife, and babes 

By him made worse than orphans, who might blush 

To call him father. Still, above, around, 

In sportive play, the flag he madly cursed, as star 

By star was added to its field of blue, 

In gorgeous folds waved kindly o'er his head, 

As if forgiving his ingratitude. 

And now, as" other years rolled sadly by, 
And he was passed from ship to ship, as each 
In turn went home, the lines of grief and frosts 
Of age bore silent evidence of slow decay. 
In time his face was marked with pensive cast, 
A harbinger of sad, repentant thought. 
A sailor, unperceived, took note of him, 
And oft observed him watch the waving flag 
With strange emotion. And once his lips 
Were seen to move: "Thou ever-present curse, 
Reminding me of what I am, of what 
I've lost, thou Nemesis of nature's wrongs! 
For that I've sinned against my birth, my soul's 
Remorse affirms. How long e'er nature's laws, 
More kind than human heart, will free my eyes 
From thee, thou vengeful witness of my shame? 
I'd tear thee from thy staff, — but when I think 
Of all the tears thou'st witnessed in these eyes, 
At first my curses, then m}^ prayers to God, 
Of secret thoughts conceived within thy sight, 
Thou seem'st so much a friend, I would not blot 
From out thy field a single star — and yet— and yet 
O soul, when will thy mad resentment cease? " 

Full thirty years had passed since sound 
Of friendly voice had filled his ear, and now 
He paced another deck than one designed 
For heavy armament, — a merchant craft, 
Commissioned while the nation's ships of war 
Were called for duty home to try the cause 
For which this poor, deluded exile gave 
His manhood and his life. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 173 

Near set of sun 
The cry of " sail " was heard, and then, 
Against his will, they hurried him below. 
The startling call to quarters reached his ear; 
And e'er the roll of drum and boatswain's whistle died away 
There came a distant " boom " that roused a hope 
He yearned to realize. A moment more, 
A deaf ning sound that shook the very keel 
Awoke his heart with joy. He knew and hailed 
The truth. The land, — Ids land was now at war. 
The foe — his name, it mattered not to him — 
Had struck the challenge blow and filled his soul 
With fire. 

O love of Country! Thou art lasting as 
The faith of childhood. Thou art stronger than 
The love of life, — the fear of death! 
This exiled penitent, this prodigal 
Without a home, would prove himself a man! 
He cried for help to free him from his bonds: 
; Ahoy there! Men on deck! For love of God 
Let me not perish in this cell. Unbar the door, 
Take off these chains, and arm me for the fight! 
Oh give me air and light beneath the flag; 
My blood will wash away my curse!" but all 
Was vain. 

A tearing shot, that ploughed through side 
And prison bulkhead walls, made clear 
A passage wide enough through which 
He sought his wild desire. 

But e'er he reached the deck, the foe had lashed 
His ship beside, and countless fierce wild men 
Were leaping down among the feeble crew, 
Who battled hard, but vain, against such odds. 

He saw the flag the enemy displayed, 

A flag unknown, unseen by him before, 

Though strangely like the one he cursed, — now loved 

So much — would die in its defense. 

He wrenched a cutlass from a dying hand, 

And hewed his way among the privateers. 



RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Where.'er lie struck, the way was cleared of men 

Like wheat before the blade. His strange demean 

And antique garb amazed the foe, until 

It seemed he'd drive the boarders to their ships. 

At last, his wounds o'ercame his madd'ning strength, 

And sinking to his knee, was soon disarmed, 

But spared the murd'rous stroke by one who knew 

His name and story from a child, 

His glazing eye turned wistful toward the flag, 

Wow drooping low, as if to mourn for him: — 

"My country! thou art now avenged! my life — 
My wasted life, — I give to thee — to thee. r ' 



THREE DAYS IN THE LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 

CASIMIR DELAVIGNE. 

On the deck stood Columbus; the ocean's expanse, 

Untried and unlimited, swept by his glance. 
"Back to Spain! " cry his men; "put the vessel about! 

We venture no farther through danger and doubt.'' 
"Three days, and I give you a world! " he replied; 
" Bear up, my brave comrades, three days shall decide." 

He sails, but no token of land is in sight; 

He sails, but the day shows no more than the night; 

On, onward, he sails, while in vain o'er the lea 

The lead is sent down through a fathomless sea. 

The pilot in silence leans mournfully o'er 
The rudder that creaks mid the billowy roar; 
He hears the hoarse moan of the spray-driving blast, 
And its funeral wail through the shrouds of the mast. 
The stars of far Europe have sunk from the skies, 
And the great Southern Cross meets his terrified eyes, 
But at length the slow dawn, softly streaking the night, 
Illumes the blue vault with a faint crimson light. 
"Columbus! 'tis day and the darkness is o'er." 
" Day! and what dost thou see?" " Sky and ocean — no more! 

The second day ends, and Columbus is sleeping, 
While Mutiny near him its vigil is keeping. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 175 

" Shall lie perish? " " Ay, death! " is the barbarous cry; 
"He must triumph tomorrow, or, perjured, must die! " 

Ungrateful and blind! shall the world-linking sea 

He traced for the future his sepulcher be? 

Or shall it, tomorrow, with pitiless waves, 

Fling his corse on that shore which his patient eye craves? 

The corse of an humble adventurer, then; 

One day later — Columbus, the first among men! 

But hush! he is dreaming; and sleep to his thought 
Reveals what his waking eyes vainly have sought: 
Through the distant horizon — oh rapturous sight!— 
Fresh bursts the New World from the darkness of night; 
Oh vision of glory! ineffable scene! 
What richness of verdure! the sky how serene! 
How blue the far mountains ! how glad the green isles! 
And the earth and the ocean, how dimpled with smiles! 
" Joy! joy! " cries Columbus, "this region is mine! " 
Thine? not e'en its name, wondrous dreamer, is thine. 

But, lo! his dream changes; a vision less bright 
Comes to darken and banish that scene of delight. 
The gold-seeking Spaniards, a merciless band, 
Assail the meek natives, and ravage the land. 
He sees the fair palace, the temple on fire, 
And the peaceful caciques 'mid their ashes expire; 
He sees, too, — oh saddest, oh mournfulest eight!— 
The crucifix gleam in the thick of the fight: 
More terrible far than the merciless steel 
Is the uplifted cross in the red hand of Zeal! 

Again the dream changes. Columbus looks forth, 
And a bright constellation illumines the North. 
'Tis the herald of empire! A people appear, 
Impatient of wrong, and unconscious of fear: 
They level the forest, they ransack the seas; 
Each zone finds their canvas unfurled to the breeze. 
" Hold! " Tyranny cries; but their resolute breath 
Sends back the reply, "Independence or death! " 
The plowshare they turn to a weapon of might, 
And, defying all odds, hurry forth to the fight. 



176 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

7. They have conquered! The people with grateful acclaim 
Look to Washington's guidance from Washington's fame; 
Behold Cincinnatus and Cato combined 

In his patriot heart and republican mind! 

type of true manhood! what scepter or crown 
But fades in the light of thy simple renown? 
And, lo! by the side of the hero, a sage, 

In freedom's behalf, sets his mark on the age; 
Whom Science adoringly hails, while he wrings 
The lightning from heaven, the scepter from kings! " 

8. But see! o'er Columbus slow consciousness breaks — 
"Land! land!" cry the sailors; "land! land!" — he awakes- 

He runs — yes! behold it! — it blesses his sight— 
The land! Oh, dear spectacle! transport! delight! 
Oh, generous sobs, which he cannot restrain! 
"What will Ferdinand say? and the Future? and Spain? 

1 will lay this fair land at the foot of the throne — 
The king will repay all the ills I have known; 

In exchange for a world what are honors and gains? 
Or a crown? " But how is he rewarded? With chains! 



DEFENSE OF HOFER. 

Andreas Hofer was a patriotic Swiss leader, w T ho success- 
fully resisted the French armies in their invasion of his country. 
He was at length captured, tried and executed by order of 
Napoleon, 1810. 

. 1. You ask what I have to say in my defense; you, who glory in 
the name of France, who wander through the world to enrich and exalt 
the land of your birth; you demand how I could dare arm myself against 
the invaders of my native rocks. Do you confine love of home to your- 
selves? Do you punish in others the actions which you dignify among 
yourselves? Those stars which glitter on your breasts, do they hang 
there as a recompense for patient servitude? - 

2. I see the smile of contempt which curls your lips. You say, 
" This brute! he is a ruffian! a beggar! That patched jacket, that ragged 
cap, that rusty belt! Shall barbarians such as he close the pass against 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 177 

us, shower rocks on our heads, and single out our leaders with unfailing 
aim; these groveling mountaineers, who know not the joys and brilliance 
of life, creeping amid eternal snows, and snatching with greedy hand 
their stinted ear of corn! " 

3. Yet, poor as we are, we never envied our neighbors their smil- 
ing sun, their gilded palaces. We never strayed from our peaceful huts 
to blast the happiness of those who have injured us. The traveler who 
visited our valleys met every hand outstretched to welcome him; for him 
every hearth blazed as we listened to his tale of distant lands. Too 
happy for ambition, we were not jealous of wealth; we have even 
refused to partake of it. 

4. Frenchmen! you have wives and children. "When you return to 
your beautiful cities, amid the roar of trumpets, the smiles of the lovely 
and the multitude shouting your triumphs, they will ask, " Where have 
you roamed? What have you achieved? What have you brought back 
to us?" Those laughing babes who climb your knees, will you have the 
heart to tell them, " We have pierced the barren crags, we have entered 
the naked cottage to level it to the ground; we found no treasures but 
honest hearts, and those we have broken because they throbbed with 
love for the wilderness around them. Clasp this old firelock in your 
little hands, it was snatched from a peasant of Tyrol, who died in the 
vain effort to stem the torrent." Seated by your firesides, will you boast 
to your generous and blooming wives that you have extinguished the 
last ember that lighted our gloom? 

5. Happy scenes! I shall never see you more! In those cold, stern 
eyes I read my fate. Think not that your sentence can be terrible to me, 
but I have sons, daughters, and a wife who has shared all my labors; she 
has shared, too, my little pleasures, such pleasures as that humble roof 
can yield, pleasures that you cannot understand. My little ones! should 
you live to bask in the sunshine of manhood, dream not of your father's 
doom! Should you live to know it, know, too, that the man who has 
served his God and his country with all his heart can smile at the 
musket leveled to pierce it! 

6. What is death to me? I have not reveled in pleasures wrung 
from innocence and want; rough and discolored as these hands are, they 
are pure. My death is nothing. Oh, that my country could live ! Oh, 
that ten thousand such deaths could make her immortal! Do I despair, 
then? "No. We have rushed to the sacrifice, and the offering has been 
in vain for us; but our children shall burst these fetters; the blood of 
virtue was never shed in vain; Freedom can never die. I have heard 
that you killed your king once because he enslaved you, yet now, again 



1*78 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

you crouch before a single man who bids you trample on all who abjure 
his yoke, and shoots you if you have courage to disobey. 

7. Do you think that when I am buried, there shall breathe no 
other Hofers? Dream you that, if today you prostrate Hofer in the dust, 
tomorrow Hofer is no more? In the distance I see liberty which I shall 
not taste; behind I look on my slaughtered countrymen, on my orphans, 
on my desolate fields; but a star rises before my aching sight which 
points to justice — and it shall come! 



THE CONQUERED BANNER. 

FATHER A. J. RYAN. 

1. Furl that banner, for 'tis weary, 
Round its staff 'tis drooping dreary, 

Furl it, fold it, it is best; 
For there's not a man to wave it, 
And there's not a sword to save it, 
And there's not one left to lave it 
In the blood that heroes gave it, 
And its foes now scorn and brave it — 

Furl it, hide it, let it rest. 

2. Take that banner down, 'tis tattered; 
Broken is its staff and shattered, 
And the valiant hosts are scattered, 

Over whom it floated high. 
Oh, 'tis hard for us to fold it, 
Hard to think there's none to hold it, 
Hard that those who once unrolled it 

Now must furl it with a sigh. 

3. Furl that banner, furl it sadly — 
Once ten thousand hailed it gladly; 
And ten thousand wildly, madly, 

Swore it should forever wave; 
Swore that foeman's sword should never 
Hearts like theirs entwined dissever 
Till that flag should float forever 

O'er their freedom or their grave. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 179 

Furl it, for the hands that grasped it, 
And the hearts that fondly clasped it, 

Cold and dead are lying low; 
And the banner it is trailing, 
While around it sounds the wailing . 

Of its people in their woe. 

For, though conquered, they adore it, 
Love the cold, dead hands that bore it, 
Weep for those that fell before it, 
Pardon those who trailed and tore it, 
And, oh, wildly they deplore it, 
Now to furl and fold it so. 

Furl that banner, true 'tis gory, 
Yet 'tis wreathed around with glory, 
And will live in song and story, 

Though its folds are in the dust; 
For its fame on brighter pages, 
Penned by poets and by sages, 
Shall go sounding through the ages — 

Furl its folds though now we must. 

Furl that banner, softly, slowly, 
Treat it gently, it is holy, 

For it droops above the dead; 
Touch it not, unfurl it never, 
Let it droop there furled forever, 

For its people's hopes are dead. 



AMBITION OF A STATESMAN. 

HENRY CLAY. 

1. I have been accused of ambition in presenting this measure — 
ambition, inordinate ambition. If I had thought of myself only, I should 
never have brought it forward. I know well the perils to which I ex- 
pose myself; the risk of alienating faithful and valued friends, with but 
little prospect of making new ones, if any new ones could compensate 
for the loss of those we have long tried and loved; and the honest mis- 
conception both of friends and foes. 



180 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

2. Ambition? If I had listened to its soft and seducing whispers; 
if I had yielded myself to the dictates of a cold, calculating and pru- 
dential policy, I would have stood still and unmoved. I might even 
have silently gazed on the raging storm, enjoyed its loudest thunders, 
and left those who are charged with the care of the vessel of state to 
conduct it as they could. 

3. I have been heretofore, often unjustly, accused of ambition. 
Low, groveling souls, who are utterly incapable of elevating them- 
selves to the higher and nobler duties of pure patriotism — beings who, 
forever keeping their own selfish ends in view, decide all public 
measures by their presumed influence on their aggrandizement — judge 
me by the venal rule which they prescribe to themselves. I have given 
to the winds those false accusations, as I consign that which now im- 
peaches my motives. 

4. I have no desire for office, not even the highest. The most 
exalted is a prison, in which the incarcerated incumbent daily receives 
his cold, heartless visitants, marks his weary hours, and is cut off from 
the practical enjoyment of all the blessings of genuine freedom. I am 
no candidate for any office in the gift of the people of these States, 
united or separated; I never wish, never expect to be. 

5. Pass this bill, tranquilize the country, restore confidence and 
affection in the Union, and I am willing to go home to Ashland, and 
renounce public service forever. I should there find, in its groves, under 
its shades, on its lawns, 'midst my flocks and herds, in the bosom of my 
family, sincerity and truth, attachment and fidelity and gratitude, which 
I have not always found- in the walks of public life. 

6. Yes, I have ambition; but it is the ambition of being the humble 
instrument, in the hands of Providence, to reconcile a divided people; 
once more to revive concord and harmony in a distracted land — the 
pleasing ambition of contemplating the glorious spectacle of a free, 
united, prosperous and fraternal people. 



SOUTH CAROLINA AND MASSACHUSETTS, 

DANIEL WEBSTER. 

1. The eulogium pronounced by the honorable gentleman on the 
character of the State of South Carolina, for her Revolutionary and other 
merits, meets my hearty concurrence. I shall not acknowledge that the 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 181 

honorable member goes before me in regard for whatever of dis- 
tinguished talent or distinguished character South Carolina has pro- 
duced. I claim part of the honor, I partake in the pride, of her great 
names. I claim them for countrymen, one and all, — the Laurenses, the 
Rutledges, the Pinckneys, the Sumters, the Marions, — Americans all, 
whose fame is no more to be hemmed in by State lines than their 
talents and patriotism were capable of being circumscribed within the 
same narrow limits. 

2. In their day and generation, they served and honored the 
country, and the whole country; and their renown is of the treasures of 
the whole country. Him whose honored name the gentleman himself 
bears, — does he esteem me less capable of gratitude for his patriotism, 
or sympathy for his sufferings, than if his eyes had first opened upon 
the light of Massachusetts, instead of South Carolina? Sir, does he sup- 
pose it in his power to exhibit a Carolina name so bright as to produce 
envy in my bosom? No, sir; increased gratification and delight, rather. 
I thank God, that, if I am gifted with little of the spirit which is able to 
raise mortals to the skies, I have yet none, as I trust, of that other spirit, 
which would drag angels down. 

3. When I shall be found, sir, in my place here in the Senate, or 
elsewhere, to sneer at public merit because it happens to spring up be- 
yond the limits of my own State or neighborhood; when I refuse, for 
any such cause, or for any cause, the homage due to American talent, to 
elevated patriotism, to sincere devotion to liberty and the country; or if 
I see an -uncommon endowment of heaven, — if I see extraordinary ca- 
pacity and virtue in any son of the South, and if, moved by local preju- 
dice or gangrened by State jealousj^, I get up here to abate the tithe of a 
hair from his just character and just fame,— may my tongue cleave to 
the roof of my mouth! 

4. Sir, let me recur to pleasing recollecticns; let me indulge in re- 
freshing remembrances of the past; let me remind you that, in early 
times, no States cherished greater harmony, both of principle and feel- 
ing, than Massachusetts and South Carolina. Would to God that har- 
mony might again return! Shoulder to shoulder they went through the 
Revolution; hand in hand they stood round the administration of Wash- 
ington, and felt his own great arm lean on them for support. Unkind 
feeling, if it exist, alienation and distrust, are the growth, unnatural to 
such soils, of false principles since sown. They are weeds, the seeds of 
which that same great arm never scattered. 

5. Mr. President, I shall enter on no encomium upon Massachu- 
setts; she needs none. There she is. Behold her, and judge for your- 
selves. There is her history; the world knows it by heart. The past, at 



182 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

least, is secure. There is Boston and Concord, and Lexington, and 
Bunker Hill; and there they will remain forever. The bones of her 
sons, fallen in the great struggle for Independence, now lie mingled with 
the soil of every State, from JSTew England to Georgia; and there they 
will lie forever. 

6. And, sir, where American Liberty raised its first voice, and 
where its youth was nurtured and sustained, there it still lives, in the 
strength of its manhood, and full of its original spirit. If discord and 
disunion shall wound it; if party strife and blind ambition shall hawk at 
and tear it; if folly and madness, if uneasiness under salutary and neces- 
sary restraint, shall succeed in separating it from that Union by which 
alone its existence is made sure, — it will stand, in the end, by the side of 
that cradle in which its infancy was rocked; it will stretch forth its arm, 
with whatever of vigor it may still retain, over the friends who gather 
round it; and it will fall at last, if fall it must, amid the proudest monu- 
ments of its own glory, and on the very spot of its origin. 



STAND BY THE FLAG. 

JOSEPH HOLT. 



1. Let us twine each thread of the glorious tissue of our country's 
flag about our heart-strings, and, looking upon our homes and catching 
the spirit that breathes upon us from the battle-fields of our fathers, let us 
resolve that, come weal or woe, we will in life and in death, now and for- 
ever, stand by.the Stars and Stripes. They have floated over our cradles; 
let it be our prayer and our struggle that they shall float over our graves. 
They have been unfurled from the snows of Canada to the plains of New 
Orleans, to the halls of the Montezumas, arid amid the solitude of every 
sea, and everywhere, as the luminous symbol of resistless and beneficent 
power, they have led the brave and the free to victory and to glory. 

2. It has been my fortune to look upon this flag in foreign lands, 
and amid the gloom of an Oriental despotism, and right well do I know, 
by contrast, how bright are its stars and how sublime its inspirations! If 
this banner, the emblem for us of all that is grand in human history, and 
of all that is transporting in human hope, is to be sacrificed on the altars 
of a satanic ambition, and thus disappear forever amid the night and 
tempest of revolution, then will I feel (and who shall estimate the deso- 
lation of that feeling?) that the sun has indeed been stricken from the 
sky of our lives, and that henceforth we shall be wanderers and outcasts, 
with naught but the bread of sorrow and of penury for our lips, and with 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 183 

hands ever outstretched with feebleness and supplication, on which, in 
any hour, a military tyrant may rivet the fetters of a despairing bondage. 
May God in His infinite mercy save you and me, and the land we so 
much love, from the doom of such a degradation. 

3. No contest so momentous as this has arisen in human history, 
for, amid all the conflicts of men and of nations, the life of no such gov- 
ernment as ours has ever been at stake. Our fathers won onr independ- 
ence by the blood and sacrifice of a seven years' war, and we have main- 
tained it against the assaults of the greatest power upon the earth; and 
the question now is, whether we are to perish by our own hands, and 
have the epitaph of suicide written upon our tomb. The ordeal through 
which we are passing must involve immense suffering and losses for us 
all, but the expenditure of not merely hundreds of millions, but of 
billions, will be well made, if the result shall be the preservation of our 
institutions. 

4. Could my voice reach every dwelling in Kentuck} T , I would im- 
plore its inmates — if they would not have the rivers of their prosperity 
shrink away, as do unfed streams beneath the summer heats — to rouse 
themselves from their lethargy, and fly to the rescue of their country be- 
fore it is everlastingly too late. Man should appeal to man, and neighbor- 
hood to neighborhood, until the electric fires of patriotism shall flash from 
heart to heart in one unbroken current throughout the land. 

5. It is a time in which the workshop, the office, the counting-house 
and the field may well be abandoned for the solemn duty that is upon 
us, for all these toils will but bring treasure, not for ourselves, but for the 
spoiler, if this revolution is not arrested. We are all, with our every 
earthly interest, embarked in mid-ocean on the same common deck. The 
howl of the storm is in our ears, and "the lightning's red glare is paint- 
ing hell on the sky, " and while the noble ship pitches and rolls under 
the lashings of the waves, the cry is heard that she has sprung a-leak at 
many points, that the rushing waters are mounting rapidly in the hold. 
The man who, at such an hour, will not work at the pumps is either a 
maniac or a monster. 



THE POLISH BOY. 

MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS. 



Whence came those shrieks, so wild and shrill, 
That like an arrow cleave the air, 

Causing the blood to creep and thrill 
With such sharp cadence of despair? 



184 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Once more they come! as if a heart 
Were cleft in twain by one quick blow, 

And every string had voice apart 
To utter its peculiar woe! 

2. Whence came they? From yon temple, where 
An altar raised for private prayer 

Now forms the warrior's marble bed 
Who Warsaw's gallant armies led. 

The dim funereal tapers throw 

A holy luster o'er his brow, 
And burnish with their rays of light 
The mass of curls that gather bright 

Above the haughty brow and eye 

Of a young boy that's kneeling by. 

3. What hand is that whose icy press 

Clings to the dead with death's own grasp, 
But meets no answering caress — 

No thrilling fingers seek its clasp? 
It is the hand of her whose cry 

Rang wildly late upon the air, 
When the dead warrior met her eye, 

Outstretched upon the altar there. 

4. Now with white lips and broken moan 
She sinks beside the altar stone; 

But hark! the heavy tramp of feet 
Is heard along the gloomy street. 
Nearer and nearer yet they come, 
With clanking arms and noiseless drum. 
They leave the pavement. Flowers that spread 
Their beauties by the path they tread, 
Are crushed and broken. Crimson hands 
Rend brutally their blooming bands. 
Now whispered curses, low and deep, 
Around the holy temple creep. 
The gate is burst. A ruffian band 
Rush in and savagely demand, 
With brutal voice and oath profane, 
The startled boy for exile's chain. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. ] 85 

5. The mother sprang with gesture wild, 
And to her bosom snatched the child; 

Then with pale cheek and flashing eye, 

Shouted with fearful energy — 
" Back, ruffians, back! nor dare to tread 
Too near the body of my dead! 

Nor touch the living boy — I stand 

Between him and your lawless band! 
No traitor he. But listen! I 
Have cursed your master's tyranny. 

I cheered my lord to join the band 

Of those who swore to free our land, 
Or fighting die; and when he pressed 
Me for the last time to his breast, 

I knew that soon his form would be 

Low as it is, or Poland free. 
He went and grappled with the foe, 
Laid many a haughty Russian low; 

But he is dead — the good — the brave — 

And I, his wife, am worse — a slave! 
Take me, and bicd these arms, these hands, 
With Russia's heaviest iron bands, 

And drag me to Siberia's wild 

To perish, if 'twill save my child!" 

6. "Peace, woman, peace!" the leader cried, 

Tearing the pale boy from her side; 
And in his ruffian grasp he bore 
His victim to the temple door. 

7. "One moment!" shrieked the mother, "one! 

Can land or gold redeem my son ? 

If so I bend my Polish knee, 

And, Russia, ask a boon of thee. 
Take palaces, take lands, take all, 
But leave him free from Russian thrall. 

Take these, " and her white arms and hands 

She stripped of rings and diamond bands, 
And tore from braids of long black hair 
The gems that gleamed like starlight there ; 

L T nclasped the brilliant coronal 

And carcanet of orient pearl; 



180 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Her cross of blazing rubies last 
Down to the Russian's feet she cast. 

8. He stooped to seize the glittering store; 

Upspringing from the marble floor, 
The mother, with a cry of joy, 
Snatched to her leaping heart the boy! 
But no — the Russian's iron grasp 
Again undid the mother's clasp. 
Forward she fell, with one long cry 
Of more than mother's agony. 

9. But the brave child is roused at length, 

And breaking from the Russian's hold, 
lie stands, a giant in the strength 
Of his young spirit, fierce and bold. 

10. Proudly he towers; his flashing eye, 

So blue and fiercely bright, 
Seems lighted from the eternal sky, 

So brilliant is its light. 
His curling lips and crimson cheeks 
Foretell the thought before he speaks. 

With a full voice of proud command 

He turns upon the wondering band: 

11. "Ye hold me not! no, no, nor can; 

This hour has made the boy a man. 
The world shall witness that one soul 
Fears not to prove itself a Pole. 

12. " I knelt beside my slaughtered sire 

Nor felt one throb of vengeful ire; 
I wept upon his marble brow — 
Yes, wept — I was a child; but now 
My noble mother on her knee, 
Has done the work of years for me. 
Although in this small tenement 
My soul is cramped — unbowed, unbent, 
I've still within me ample power 
To free myself this very hour. 

This dagger in my heart! and then 
Where is your boasted power, base men?' 
He drew aside his broidered vest, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 18' 

And there, like slumbering serpent's crest, 

The jeweled haft of a poniard bright, 

Glittered a moment on the sight. 
'"Ha! start ye back? Fool! coward! knave! 
Think ye my noble father's glave 
Could drink the life-blood of a slave? 

The pearls that on the handle flame 

Would blush to rubies in their shame. 
The blade would quiver in my breast, 
Ashamed of such ignoble rest! 

No; thus I rend thy tyrant's chain, 

And fling him back a boy's disdain!" 

13. A moment, and the funeral light 

Flashed on the jeweled weapon bright; 

Another, and his young heart's blood 

Leaped to the floor a crimson flood. 
Quick to his mother's side he sprang, 
And on the air his clear voice rang — 
" Up, mother, up! I'm free! I'm free! 

The choice was death or slavery; 
Up, mother, up! look on my face, 
I only wait for thy embrace. 

One last, last word — a blessing, one, 

To prove thou knowest what I have done; 
No look! no word! Canst thou not feel 
My warm blood o'er thy heart congeal? 

Speak, mother, speak — lift up thy head. 

What, silent still? Then art thou dead! 
Great God, I thank thee! Mother, I 
Rejoice with thee, and thus, to die." 

Slowly he falls. The clustering hair 

Rolls back and leaves that forehead bare. 
One long, deep breath, and his pale head 
Lay on his mother's boom dead. 



REGULUS TO THE ROMAN SENATE. 

Epes Sargent. 
1. Ill does it become me, O Senators of Rome! — ill does it become 
Regulus, — after having so often stood in this venerable assembly 
clothed with the supreme dignity of the Republic, to stand before you 



188 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

a captive, — the captive of Carthage. Though outwardly I am free, 
though no fetters encumber the limbs or gall the flesh, yet the heaviest 
of chains — the pledge of a Roman consul — makes me the bondsman of 
the Carthaginians. They have my promise to return to them in the 
event of the failure of this their embassy. My life is at their mercy. My 
honor is my own, — a possession which no reverse of fortune can jeopard; 
a flame which imprisonment cannot stifle, time cannot dim, death can- 
not extinguish. 

2. Of the train of disasters which followed close on the unex- 
ampled successes of our arms; of the bitter fate which swept off the 
flower of our soldiery, and consigned me, your general, wounded and 
senseless, to Carthaginian keeping, — I will not speak. For five years a 
rigorous captivity has been my portion. For five years the society of 
family and friends, the dear amenities of home, the sense of freedom, 
and the sight of country, have been to me a recollection and a dream, 
—no more. But during that period, Rome has retrieved her defeats. She 
has recovered under Metullus what under Regulus she lost. She has 
routed armies. She has taken unnumbered prisoners. She has struck 
terror to the hearts of the Carthaginians, who have now sent me hither 
with their ambassadors to sue for peace, and to propose, that, in ex- 
change for me, your former consul, a thousand common prisoners of war 
shall be given up. 

3. You have heard the ambassadors. Their intimations of some 
unimaginable horror — I know not what— impending over myself, should 
I fail to induce you to accept their terms, have strongly moved your 
sympathies in my behalf. Another appeal, which I would you might 
have been spared, has lent force to their suit. A wife and children, 
threatened with widowhood and orphanage, weeping and despairing, 
have knelt at your feet, on the very threshold of the Senate-chamber. 

4. Conscript Fathers! Shall not Regulus be saved? Must he re- 
turn to Carthage to meet the cruelties which the ambassadors brandish 
before our eyes? With one voice you answer, "No!" Countrymen! 
Friends! For all that I have suffered, for all that I may have to suffer, 
I am repaid in the compensation of this moment. Unfortunate you may 
hold me; but, oh, not undeserving! Your confidence in my honor sur- 
vives all the ruin that adverse fortune could inflict. You have not for- 
gotten the past. Republics are not ungrateful. May the thanks I can- 
not utter bring down blessings from the gods on you and Rome! 

5. Conscript Fathers! There is but one course to be pursued. 
Abandon all thought of peace! Reject the overtures of Carthage. Re- 
ject them wholly and unconditionally! What! give back to her a 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 189 

thousand able-bodied men, and receive in return this one attenuated, 
war-worn, fever-wasted frame,— this weed, whitened in a dungeon's 
darkness, pale and sapless, which no kindness of the sun, no softness of 
the summer breeze, can ever restore to health and vigor? It must not — 
it shall not be. Oh! were Regulus what he was once, before captivity 
had unstrung his sinews, and enervated his limbs, he might pause, he 
might proudly think he were well worth a thousand of the foe; he might 
say, " Make the exchange! Rome shall not lose by it!" But now,— alas! 
now 'tis gone,— that impetuosity of strength, which could once make 
him a leader indeed, to penetrate a phalanx, or guide a pursuit. His 
very armor would be a burden now. His battle-cry would be drowned 
in the din of the onset. His sword would fall harmless on his oppo- 
nent's shield. 

6. But if he cannot live, he can at least die, for his country. Do 
not deny him this supreme consolation. Consider: every indignity, 
every torture, which Carthage shall heap on his dying hours, will be 
better than a trumpet's call to your armies. They will remember only 
Regulus, their fellow-soldier and their leader. They will forget his de- 
feats; they will regard only his services to the Republic. Tunis, Sar- 
dinia, Sicily, — every well-fought field won by Ms blood and theirs, — will 
flash on their remembrance, and kindle their avenging wrath. And so 
shall Regulus, though dead, fight as he never fought before against the 
foe. 

7. Conscript Fathers! There is another theme. My family — for- 
give the thought. To you, and to Rome, I confide them. I leave them 
no legacy but my name, no testament but my example. 

8. Ambassadors of Carthage! I have spoken, though not as you 
expected. I am your captive. Lead me back to whatever fate may 
await me. Doubt not that you shall find, to Roman hearts, country is 
dearer than life, and integrity more precious than freedom. 



THE PALACE O' THE KING, 

WILLIAM MITCHELL. 

1. It's a bonnie, bonnie war? that we're livin' in the noo, 
An' sunny is the Ian' we aften traivel thro'; 
But in vain we look for something to which our hearts can 

cling, 
For its beauty is as naething to the palace o' the King. 



190 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

2. We like the gilded simmer, wi' its merry, merry tread, 

An' we sigh when hoary winter lays its beauties wi' the dead; 
For though bonniearethe snawflakes, an' the down on winter's 

wing, 
It's fine to ken it daurna' touch the palace o' the King. 

3. Then again, I've juist been thinkin' that when a'thing here's 

sae bricht, 
The sun in a' its grandeur an' the mune wi' quiverin' licht, 
The ocean i' the simmer or the woodland i' the spring, 
What maun it be up yonder i' the palace o' the King. 

4. It's here we hae oor trials, an' it's here that he prepares 

A' his chosen for the raiment which the ransomed sinner 

wears, 
An' it's here that he wad hear us, 'mid oor tribulations sing, 
" We'll trust oor God wha reigneth i' the palace of the King." 

5. Though his palace is up yonder, he has kingdoms here be- 

low, • 
An' we are his ambassadors, wherever we may go; 
We've a message to deliver, and we've lost anes hame to bring 
To be leal and loyal-heartit i' the palace o' the King. 

6. Oh, it's honor heaped on honor that his courtiers should be 

ta'en 
Frae the wand'rin' anes he died for i' this warl' o' sin an' 

pain, 
An' it's fu'est love an' service that the Christian eye should 

bring 
To the feet o' him wha reigneth i' the Palace o' the King. 

7. An' let us trust him better than we've ever done afore, 

For the King will feed his servants frae his ever-bounteous 

store. 
Let us keep closer grip o' him, for time is on the wing, 
An' sune he'll come an' tak' us to the palace o' the King. 

8. Its iv'ry halls are bonnie, upon which the rainbows shine, 
An' its Eden bow'rs are trellised wi' a never-fadin' vine, 
An' the pearly gates o' heaven do a glorious radiance fling 
On the starry floor that shimmers i' the palace o' the King. 

9. Nae nicht shall be in heaven an' nae desolatin' sea, 

An' nae tyrant hoofs shall trample i' the city o' the free. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 191 

There's an everlastin' daylight, an' a never-fadin' spring, 
Where the Lamb is a' the glory, in the palace o' the King. 

We see our frien's await us ower yonder at his gate; 

Then let us a' be ready, for ye ken it's gettin' late. 

Let oor lamps be brichtly burnin', let's raise oor voice an' 

sing, 
"Sune we'll meet, to pairt nae mair, i' the palace o' the 

King." 



"ROCK OF AGES." 

Parts in quotation marks are to be sung. 

1. " Rock of ages cleft for me," 

Thoughtlessly the maiden sung; 
Fell the words unconsciously 

From her girlish, gleeful tongue; 
Sang as little children sing; 

Sang as sing the birds in June; 
Fell the words like light leaves down 

On the current of the tune— 
" Rock of ages, cleft for me 
Let me hide myself in Thee." 

2. " Let me hide myself in Thee "— 

Felt her soul no need to hide. 
Sweet the song as song could be, 

And she had no thought beside; 
All the words unheedingly 

Fell from lips untouched by care, 
Dreaming not that they might be 

On some other lips a prayer; 
" Rock of ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in Thee." 

3. " Rock of ages, cleft for me" — 

'Twas a woman sung them now, 
Pleadingly and prayerfully; 

Every word her heart did know. 
Rose the song as storm-tossed bird 

Beats with weary wing the air, 



192 RATJOXAL ELOCUTION. 

Every note with sorrow stirred, 
Every syllable a prayer: 
" Rock of ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in Thee! " 

4. " Rock of ages, cleft for me"— 

Lips grown aged sung the hymn, 
Trustingly and tenderly, 

Voice grown weak and eyes grown dim- 
" Let me hide myself in Thee," 

Trembling though the voice and low, 
Ran the sweet strain peacefully, 

Like a river in its flow; 
Sang as only they can sing 

Who life's thorny path have prest; 
Sang as only they can sing 

Who behold the promised rest:— 
" Rock of ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in Thee." 

5. " Rock of ages, cleft for me," — 

Sung above a coffin-lid; 
Underneath, all restfully, 

All life's joys and sorrows hid; 
Nevermore, storm-tossed soul! 

Nevermore from wind or tide, 
Nevermore from billow's roll 

Wilt thou need thyself to hide. 
Could the sightless, sunken eyes, 

Closed beneath the soft gray hair, 
Could the mute and stiffened lips 

Move again in pleading prayer, 
Still, aye, still, the words would be, 
" Let me hide myself in Thee." 



OVER THE HILL FROM THE POOR HOUSE. 

WILL CARLETON. 

I, who was always counted, they say, 

Rather a bad stick any way. 

Splintered all over with dodges aad tricks, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 193 

Known as the " worst of the Deacon's six; " 
I, the truant, saucy and bold, 
The one black sheep in my father's fold, 
" Once on a time," as the stories say, 
Went over the hill on a winter's day — 
Over the hill to the poor-house. 

Tom could save what twenty could earn; 
But givin 1 was somethin' he ne'er would learn; 
Isaac could half o' the Scriptur' speak — 
Committed a hundred verses a week; 
Never forgot, an' never slipped; 
But " Honor thy father and mother " he skipped; 
So over the hill to the poor-house! 

As for Susan, her heart was kind 

An' good — what there was of it, mind; 

Nothin' too big, and nothin' too nice, 

Kothin' she wouldn't sacrifice 

For one she loved; an' that 'ere one 

Was herself, when all was said an' done ; 

An' Charley an' Becca meant well, no doubt, 

But any one could pull 'em about. 

An' all o' our folks ranked well, you see, 
Save one poor fellow, and that was me; 
An' when, one dark an' rainy night 
A neighbor's horse went out o' sight, 
They hitched on me, as the guilty chap 
That carried one end o' the halter-strap. 
An' I think, myself, that view of the case 
Wasn't altogether out o' place; 
My mother denied it, as mothers do, 
But I am inclined to believe 'twas true. 

Though for me one thing might be said — 

That I, as well as the horse, was led; 

And the worst of whiskey spurred me on, 

Or else the deed would have never been done. 

But the keenest grief I ever felt 

Was when my mother beside me knelt, 



194 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

An' cried, an' prayed, till I melted down, 
As I wouldn't for half the horses in town. 
I kissed her fondly, then an' there, 
And swore henceforth to be honest and square. 

I served my sentence — a bitter pill 
Some fellows should take who never will; 
And then I decided to go " out West," 
Concludin' 'twould suit my health the best; 
Where, how I prospered I never would tell, 
But Fortune seemed to like me well; 
An' somehow every vein I struck 
Was always bubbling over with luck. 
An' better than that I was steady an' true, 
An' put my good resolutions through. 
But I wrote to a trusty old neighbor an' said, 
" You tell 'em, old fellow, that I am dead, 
An' died a Christian; 'twill please 'em more, 
Than if I had lived the same as before." 

But when this neighbor he w T rote to me, 
" Your mother's in the poor-house," says he, 
I had a resurrection straightway 
An' started for her that very day. 
And when I arrived where I was grown, 
I took good care that I shouldn't be known; 
But I bought the old cottage, through and through, 
Of some one Charley had sold it to; 
And held back neither work nor gold 
To fix it up as it was of old. 
The same big fire-place, wide and high, 
Flung up its cinders toward the sky; 
The old clock ticked on the corner shelf — 
I wound it an' set it again myself; 
An' if everything wasn't just the same, 
Neither I nor money was to blame; 

Then — over the hill to the poor-house ! 

One blowin', blusterin' winter's day, 
With a team and cutter I started away; 
My fiery nags was as black as coal 
(They some'at resembled the horse I stole); 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 195 

I hitched, an' entered the poor-house door — 
A poor old woman was scrubbin' the floor; 
She rose to her feet in great surprise, 
And looked, quite startled, into my eyes ; 
I saw the whole of her trouble's trace 
In the lines that marred her dear old face; 
" Mother! " I shouted, " your sorrows is done! 
You re adopted along o' your horse-thief son, 
Come over the hill from the poor-house ! '' 

She didn't faint; she knelt by my side, 

An' thanked the Lord, till I fairly cried. 

An' maybe our ride wasn't pleasant and gay, 

An' maybe she wasn't wrapped up that day; 

An' maybe our cottage wasn't warm an' bright, 

An' maybe it wasn't a pleasant sight, 

To see her a-gettin' the evenin's tea, 

An' frequently stoppin' an' kissin' me; 

An' maybe we didn't live happy for years, 

In spite of my brothers' and sisters' sneers, 

Who often said, as I have heard, 

That they wouldn't own a prison-bird; 

(Though they're gettin' over that, I guess, 

For all of 'em owe me more or less); 

But I've learned one thing, an' it cheers a man 

In always a-doin' the best he can, 

That whether on the big book, a blot 

Gets over a fellow's name or not, 

Whenever he does a deed that's white, 

It's credited to him fair and right. 

An' when you hear the great bugle's notes ; 

An' the Lord divides his sheep and goats; 

However they may settle my case, 

Wherever they may fix my place, 

My good old Christian mother, you'll see, 

Will be sure to stand right up for me, 

With over the hill from the poor-home ! 

Copyright, Harper and, Brothers. 



196 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

RUM'S DEVASTATION AND DESTINY. 

WILLIAM SULLIVAN. 

A prophecy supposed to have been delivered A. D. 1300 
upon the discovery of distillation. 

1. la your researches after that which, you should, at once, have 
known to be impossible, by the laws of nature, you have opened a fount- 
ain of misery which shall flow for ages. You have not contented your- 
self with pressing out the j uices of the fruit bestowed upon you and con- 
verting these into strong drink which you need not — but you have taken 
this strong drink and the harvest, which was given to you for food, and 
have drawn from these a liquid which is not food and which will not 
nourish nor sustain your earthly frame. 

2. This liquid shall be a curse upon you and your descendants. It 
shall be known wherever the arts of civilization are known. You shall 
call it the elixir of life. You shall believe it to be nutritious to the body 
and gladdening to the soul. The love of it shall grow with the use of it. 
It shall soothe the solitary hour and cheer the festive board. It shall 
charm away your griefs, and be the cause of your rejoicings. It shall be 
the inducement to communion and the bond of friendship. It shall be 
prized alike by the high and the low. It shall be the joy of princes as 
well as the meanest of mortals. It shall be the stimulant to laborious 
toil, and the reward for labor done. It shall be bought and sold and 
make the dealer therein rich. It shall yield abundant revenues to sover- 
eignty. Hospitality shall be dishonored in not offering it to the guest, 
and the guest shall be disgraced in not receiving it at the hand of his 
host. 

3. BUT it shall visit your limbs with pals}'; it shall extinguish 

the pride of man; it shall make the husband hateful to the wife, and the 
wife loathsome to the husband; it shall annihilate the love of offspring; it 
shall make members of society a shame and a reproach to each other and 
to all among whom they dwell. It shall steal from the virtuous and the 
honorable their good name; and shall make the strong and the vigorous 
to totter along the streets of cities. 

4. It shall pervert the law of habit, designed to strengthen you in 
the path of duty, and bind you in its iron chain. It shall disgrace the 
judge upon the bench, the minister in the sacred desk, and the senator in 
his exalted seat. It shall make your food tasteless, your mouth to burn 
as with a fever, and your stomach to tremble as with disease. It shall 
cause the besotted mother to overlay her newborn, unconscious that it dies 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 197 

beneath the pressure of her weight; the natural cravings of the infant 
shall make it strive to awaken her who has passed, unheeded, to her last 
long sleep. 

5. The son shall hide his face that he may not behold his father's 
depravity, and the father shall see the object of his fondest hopes turn to 
a foul and bloated carcass, that hurries to the grave. It shall turn the 
children of men into raving maniacs; and the broken ties of blood and 
affection shall find no relief but in the friendly coming of Death. As the 
seed wiiich man commits to the earth comes forth in that w'hich he con- 
verts into spirit, so shall this product of his own invention be as seed in 
his own heart, to bring forth violence, rapine and murder. 

6. It shall cause man to shut up his fellow-man in the solitude of 
the grated cell. The prisoner shall turn pale and tremble in his loneli- 
ness, at the presence of his own thoughts; he shall come forth to die, in 
cold blood, by the hand of his fellow, with the spectacle of religious hom- 
age on a scaffold, and amid the gaze of curious thousands. Poverty shall 
be made squalid and odious, even so that Charity shall turn away her 
face in disgust. It shall attract the pestilence that walks, even at noon- 
day, in darkness, to the very vitals of the drunkard, as carrion invites the 
far-sighted bird of prey. 

7. The consumer of spirit shall be found dead in the highway, 
with the. exhausted vessel by his side. Yea, the drunkard shall kindle a 
fire in his own bosom which shall not depart from him till he is turned 
to ashes. The dropsical drunkard shall die in his delirium, and the 
fluid which has gathered in his brain shall smell like spirit and like spirit 
shall burn. A feeble frame, an imbecile mind, torturing pain and incur- 
able madness shall be of the inheritance which drunkards bequeath, to 
run with their blood to innocent descendants. 

8. The wise men, who assemble in the halls of legislation, shall be 
blind to this ruin, desolation and misery. Nay, they shall license the 
sale of this poison, and shall require of dignified magistrates to certify 
how much thereof shall be sold for the " Public Good." 

9. This minister of woe and wretchedness shall roam over the earth 
at pleasure. It shall be found in every country of the Christian; it shall 
go into every city, into every village and into every house. But it shall 
not visit the country of the heathen, nor spread woe and wretchedne ss 
among them, but by the hands of Christians. 

10. The light of reason shall at length break upon the benighted 
and afflicted world. The truth shall be told. It shall be believed. The 
causes of calamity shall be unveiled. The friends of the human race shall 
speak and be respected. Rational man shall be ashamed of his follies and 



198 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

his crimes, and humbled to the dust that he was so long ignorant of their 
origin. Governments shall be ashamed that they so long tolerated and 
sustained the most costly and cruel foe that man has ever encountered. 
Avarice itself shall be conscience-stricken and penitent. It shall remain 
where nature placed it for use; and it shall be odious in the sight of 
Heaven and of Earth to convert the fruits of the soil into poison. 



THE MARINER'S DREAM. 

WILLIAM DIMOXD. 



1. In slumbers of midnight the sailor-boy lay, 

His hammock swung loose at the sport of the wind; 
But watch-worn and weary, his cares flew away, 
And visions of happiness danced o'er his mind. 

2. He dreamt of his home, of his dear native bower? , 

And pleasures that waited on life's merry morn; 
While memory stood sidewa} r s, half covered with flowers, 
And restored every rose, but secreted its thorn. 

3. Then Fancy her magical pinions spread wide, 

And bade the young dreamer in ecstasy rise; 
Now far, far behind him the green waters glide, 
And the cot of his forefathers blesses his eyes. 

4. The jessamine clambers in flowers o'er the thatch, 

And the swallow chirps sweet from her nest in the wall: 
All trembling with transport, he raises the latch, 
And the voices of loved ones reply to his call. 

5. A father bends o'er him with looks of delight, — 

His cheek is impearled with a mother's warm tear; 
And the lips of the boy in a love-kiss unite 

With the lips of the maid whom his bosom holds dear. 

6. The heart of the sleeper beats high in his breast; 

Joy quickens his pulses — his hardships seem o'er; 
And a murmur of happiness steals through his breast, — 
" O God! thou hast blest me, — I ask for no more." 

7. Ah! whence is that flame which now bursts on his eye? 

Ah! what is that sound which now 'larms on his ear? 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 199 

'Tis the lightning's red gleam, painting hell on the sky! 
'Tis the crashing of thunders, the groan of the sphere! 

8. He springs from his hammock, he flies to the deck; 

Amazement confronts him with images dire; 
Wild winds and mad waves drive the vessel a wreck; 
The masts fly in splinters; the shrouds are on fire. 

9. Like mountains the billows tremendously swell; 

In vain the lost wretch calls on mercy to save; 
Unseen hands of spirits are ringing his knell, 
And the death-angel flaps his dark wings o'er the wave. 

10. O sailor-boy, woe to thy dream of delight! 

In darkness dissolves the gay frost-work of bliss. 
Where now is the picture that fancy touched bright, 
Thy parents' fond pressure, and love's honeyed kiss? 

11. O sailor-boy! sailor-boy! never again 

Shall home, love, or kindred thy wishes repay; 
Unblessed and unhonored, down deep in the main, 
Full many a fathom, thy frame shall decay. 

12. No tomb shall e'er plead to remembrance for thee, 

Nor redeem form or fame from the merciless surge, 
But the white foam of waves shall thy winding-sheet be, 
And winds in the midnight of winter thy dirge! 

13. On beds of green sea-flowers thy limbs shall be laid, — 

Around thy white bones the red coral shall grow; 
Of thy fair yellow locks threads of amber be made, 
And every part suit to thy mansion below. 

14. Days, months, years and ages shall circle away, 

And still the vast waters above thee shall roll; 
Earth, loses thy pattern forever and aye, — 
O sailor-boy! sailor-boy! peace to thy soul! 



A MOTHER'S SACRIFICE. 



Some years ago a Mrs. Blake perished in a snow-storm in 
the night time while traveling over a spur of the Green Mount- 
ains in Vermont. She had an infant with her, which was found 



200 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

alive and well in the morning, being carefully wrapped in the 
mother's clothing. 

1. The cold winds — swept the mountain's height, 

And pathless — was the dreary wild. 
And, 'mid the cheerless hours of night, 

A mother wander'd with her child; 
As through the drifting snow she press'd, 
The babe — was sleeping — on her breast. 

2. And colder still the winds did blow, 

And darker hours of night came on, , 

And deeper grew the drifting snow; 

Her limbs — were chilled, her strength — was gone. 
" Oh, God!" she cried, in accents wild, 
" If / must perish, save my child! " 

3. She stripp'd her mantle from her breast, 

And bared her bosom to the storm, 
And round the child — she wrapped the vest, 

And smiled — to think her babe was warm. 
With one cold kiss — one tear she shed, 
And sank — upon her snowy bed, 

4. At dawn — a traveler passed by, 

And saw her — 'neath a snowy vail; 
The frost of death — was in her eye, 

Her cheek was cold, and hard, and pale, 
He moved the robe from off the child, 
The babe look'd up — and sweetly smiled. 



THE SUPPLIANT. 

RICHARD E. WHITE. 



1. Four spirits, late of earth, once stood beside 
The gate of Paradise and entrance sought; 
To them the Guardian Angel thus replied: 

" None enter here save those who good have wrought.' 

2. Then each of them in turn his merits said; 
The first: "I stood before the grave of Time, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 201 

And, like a Savior, cited forth the dead 
To rise and live forever in my rhyme" 

3. Another, thus: " A sculptor I, and such 
The beauty was that I to stone did give, 
My statues wanted but a single touch 

Of God's right hand to make them breathe and live" 

4. The third: U I rivaled nature with my dyes; 
And to the sad earth, in its darkest hours, 
My pencil brought again the summer skies, 

The laughing orooks, the verdure and the flowers" 

5. They entered; but icithout still lingered one, 

To whom thus spoke the Angel: " We would know 
Upon the earth what good deeds thou hast done." . 
" Alas! " he answered, "I have none to show." 

6. "A Suppliant am I for entrance here; 
But when in Mercy's God my hope I place, 
Like dead men's ghosts the sins of many a year 
Rise up in mockery before my face." 

7. The Angel: " Go ! there is no room for thee" 
And as the Suppliant turned, in tears, away, 
The spirits, with one voice, imploringly 
Cried unto him: "Stay with us, brother, stay" 

8. And then the spirits told how he had done 
Kind deeds on earth, and one spoke thus: " I fear 
If he unworthy be, no single one 

Of us is worthy of remaining here" 

9 : They told: "I hungered and he gave me meat; " 
" His draught of icater did my thirst allay; " 
" I passed his happy home with weary feet, 
And he did folloio me and bid me stay." 

10. " Ill-clad was I; he gave me clothes to wear; " 
" In lazar-honse, when every friend did flee, 

Re nursed me through a loathsome sickness there; " 
" i" was in prison and he came to me." 

11. The Angel spoke: "There is no room for thee." 
Then spirit fairer than the rest did say: 
"Good Angel, out of charity to me, 

Ah, do not turn yon Suppliant away; 



202 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

13. " But rather bid him stay, and / will give 
My place to him; of right it is his own, 
And I will go back to the earth and live 
Far from my Maker's face and His bright throne." 

13. To whom the Angel: " Sister, is the stain 
Of earthly love upon thy spirit still, 

That thou wouldst go back to the world again 
That he who loved thee might thy place here fill? " 

14. "I would not ask for him, were he the one- 
Repentant tears did all such love erase; 
But every earthly feeling is not gone, 

Still in my heart has gratitude a place; 

15. " And he whom thou wouldst from thy bright gate spurn, 
Found me, one time, an outcast on the town; 

He raised me up to God. 'Tis now my turn, 
And I will give to him my glory crown." 

16. Back of itself, upon its hinges swung 

The gate of pearl, e'en as the words were said, 
And while in joy the choir of spirits sung, 
Within the walls the Suppliant was led. 



LEGEND OF ST, CHRISTOPHER. 

MISS MULOCH. 

[Aprobus,a Syrian blacksmith of renowned stature and wonderful strength, hav- 
ing determined that he would serve none but the mightiest king, went seeking him 
throughout the world. Failing to find whom he sought so long as he trusted to his 
own guidance, he finally asked a thoughtful hermit what to do. The hermit directed 
him to station himself on the bank of a dangerous ford, where many pilgrims yearly 
lost their lives in crossing, and to carryover all who required his aid; and thus 
humbly serving his fellow-men, he muj Id serve the greatest King, and hope to see 
him. 

Ere long, Christ the Lord, who holds the seas in the hollow of his hand, came to 
the fording place in the guise of a little boy, and asked to be carried over.] 

1. " CARRY ME ACROSS." 

The Syrian heard, rose up, and braced 
His huge limbs to the accustomed toil: 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 203 

" My child, see how the waters boil! 
The night-black heavens look angry-faced; 
But life is little loss. 

2. Pll carry thee with joy, 

If needs be, safe as nestling dove; 

For o'er this stream I pilgrims bring, 
In service to one Christ, a King 
Whom I have never seen, yet love." 

" I thank thee," said the boy. 

3. Cheerful Aprobus took 

The burden on his shoulders great, 

And stepped into the waves once more — 
When, lo! they, leaping, rise and roar; 
And 'neath the little child's light weight 
The tottering giant shook. 

4. " Who art thou f" cried he, wild- 
Struggling in the middle of the ford, — 

" Boy as thou lookest, it seems to me 
The ichole world's load I bear in thee." 
" Yet, for the sake of Christ thy Lord, 
Carry me," said the child. 

5. No more Aprobus swerved, 
But gained the farther bank; and then 

A voice cried, "Hence Christophoros be, 
For carrying, thou hast carried Me, 
The King of Angels and of Men, — 

The Master thou hast served." 

6. And, in the moonlight blue, 
The saint saw — not the wandering boy, 

But Him who walked upon the sea, 
And o'er the plains of Galilee, — 
Till, filled with mystic, awful joy, 

His dear Lord-Christ he knew. 

7. Oh! little is all loss, 

And brief the space 'twixt shore and shore, 

If thou, Lord Jesus, on us lay, 

Through the deep waters of our way, 
The burden that Christophoros bore, — 
To carry thee across! 



204 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

LASCA. 

F. DESPREZ. 

1. I want free life and I want fresh air; 

And I sigh for the canter after the cattle, 

The crack of the whips like shots in battle, 

The mellay of horns and hoofs and heads 

That wars and wrangles and scatters and spreads; 

The green beneath and the blue above, 

And dash and danger, and life and love. 

2* And Lasca! Lasca used to ride 

On a mouse-gray mustang, close to my side, 
With blue serap and bright-belled spur. 
I laughed with joy when I looked at her. 
Little knew she of books or creeds; 
An Ave Maria sufficed her needs: 
Little she cared, save to be by my side, 
To ride with me, and ever to ride, 
From San Saba's shore to Lavaca's tide. 
She was as bold as the billows that beat, 
She was as wild as the breezes that blow; 
From her little head to her little feet 
She was swayed in her suppleness, to and fro 
By each gust of passion; a sapling pine, 
That grows on the edge of a Kansas bluff, 
And wars with the wind when the weather is rough, 
Is like this Lasca, this love of mine. 

3. She would hunger that I might eat, 

Would take the bitter and leave me the sweet; 
But once, when I made her jealous for fun, 
At something I'd whispered, or looked, or done, 
One Sunday, in San Antonio, 
To a glorious girl on the Alamo, 
She drew from her garter a dear little dagger, 
And — sting of a wasp! — it made me stagger! 
An inch to the left or an inch to the right. 
And I shouldn't be maundering here to-night; 
But she sobbed, and, sobbing, so swiftly bound 
Her torn reboso about the wound 
That I quite forgave her. Scratches don't count 
In Texas, down by the Rio Grande. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 205 

4. Her eye was brown— a deep, deep brown; 
Her hair was darker than her eye; 

And something in her smile and frown, 
Curled crimson lip, and instep high, 
Showed that there ran in each blue vein, 
Mixed with the milder Aztec strain, 
The vigorous vintage of old Spain. 
The air was heavy, the night was hot, 
I sat by her side, and forgot— forgot; 
Forgot the herd that were taking their rest; 
Forgot that the air was close opprest, 
That the Texas norther comes sudden and soon; 
In the dead of night or the blaze of noon. 
That once let the herd at its breath take fright, 
And nothing on earth can stop the flight; 
And woe to the rider, and woe to the steed, 
Who falls in front of their mad stampede! 
Was that thunder? No, by the Lord! 
I spring to my saddle without a word 
One foot on mine, and she clung behind, 
Aw^ay on a hot chase down the wind! 
But never w<as fox-hunt half so hard, 
And never w T as steed so little spared. 
For we rode for our lives. You shall hear how we fared 
In Texas, down by the Rio Grande. 

5. The mustang new, and we urged him on; 
There is one chance left, and you have but one — 
Halt, jump to ground, and shoot your horse; 
Crouch under his carcass, and take your chance; 
And if the steers, in their frantic course, 

Don't batter you both to pieces at once, 
You may thank your star; if not, good-bye 
To the quickening kiss and the long-drawn sigh, 
And the open air and the open sky, 

In Texas, down by the Rio Grande. 

6. The cattle gained on us and then I felt 
For my old six-shooter, behind in my belt; 
Down came the mustang, and down came we, 
Clinging together, and — what was the rest? 
A body that spread itself on my breast, 



206 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Two arms that shielded my dizzy head, 
Two lips that hard ou my lips were pressed; 
Then came thunder in my ears 
As over us surged' the sea of steers ;- 
B1ow t s that beat blood into my eyes, 
And when I could rise 
Lasca was dead. 

7. I dug out a grave a few feet deep, 

And. there in Earth's arms I laid her to sleep; 

And where she is lying no one knows, 

And the summer shines and the winter snows; 

And for many a day the flowers have spread 

A pall of petals over her head; 

And the little gray hawk hangs aloof in the air, 

And the sly coyote trots here and there, 

And the black snake glides and glitters and slides 

Into the rift in a cotton-wood tree; 

And the buzzard sails on, 

And comes and is gone, 

Stately and still as a ship at sea; 

And I winder why I do not care 

For the things that are like the things that were. 

Does half my heart lie buried there 

In Texas, down by the Rio Grande? 



THE THREE WARNINGS, 

HESTER LYNCH THRALE. 

The tree of deepest root is found 
Least willing still to quit the ground; 
Twas therefore said by ancient sages, 

That love of life increased with years 
So much, that in our latter stages, 
When pains grow sharp, and sickness rages, 

The greatest love of life appears. 
This great affection to believe, 
Which all confess, but few perceive, 
If old assertions can't prevail, 
Be pleased to hear a modern tale. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 207 

2. When sports went round, and all were g&y 
On neighbor Dodson's wedding-day, 
Death called aside the jocund groom 
With him into another room ; 

And, looking grave, "You must," says he, 
" Quit your sweet bride, and come with me." 
" With you! and quit my Susan's side? 

With you! " the hapless bridegroom cried: 
"Young as I am, 'tis monstrous hard! 

Besides, in truth, I'm not prepared." 

3. What more he urged, I have not heard; 

His reasons could not well be stronger; 
So Death the poor delinquent spared, 

And left to live a little longer. 
Yet, calling up a serious look, 
His hour-glass trembled while he spoke: 
" Neighbor," he said, " farewell! no more 
Shall Death disturb your mirthful hour; 
And further, to avoid all blame 
Of cruelty upon my name, 
To give you time for preparation, 
And fit you for jour future station, 
Three several warnings you shall have 
Before you're summoned to the grave; 
Willing, for once, I'll quit my prey, 

And grant a kind reprieve; 
In hopes you'll have no more to say, 
But, when I call again this way, 

Well pleased the world will leave." 
To these conditions both consented, 
And parted perfectly contented. 

What next the hero of our tale befell 
How long he lived, how wisely, and how well, 
It boots not that the Muse should tell; 
He plowed, he sowed, he bought, he sold, 
Nor once perceived his growing old, 

Nor thought of Death as near; 
His friends not false, his wife no shrew, 
Many Lis gains, his children few, 
He passed his hours in peace. 



208 RATIONAL ELOCUTIOX. 

But, while he viewed his wealth increase, 
While thus along life's dusty road, 
The beaten track content he trod, 
Old Time, whose haste no mortal spares, 
Uncalled, unheeded, unawares, 
Brought on his eightieth year, 

5. And now, one night, in musing mood, 

As all aloue he sate, 
The unwelcome messenger of Fate 
Once more before him stood. 
Half- killed with wonder and surprise, 
"So soon returned!" old DoJson cries. 
" So soon d'ye call it?" Death replies; 
"Surely, my friend, you're but in jest; 
Since I was here before, 
'Tis six and thirty years at least, 
And you are now fourscore." 
" So much the worse! " the clown rejoined; 
" To spare the aged would be kind; 
Besides, you promised me three warnings, 
Which I have looked for nights and mornings! " 

6. " I know," cries Death, " that at the best, 
I seldom am a welcome guest; 

But don't be captious, friend; at least, 
I little thought that you'd be able 
To stump about your farm and stable; 
Your years have run to a great length, 
Yet still you' seem to have your strength." 

7. " Hold! " says the farmer, "not so fast! 

I have been lame these four years past." 
"And no great wonder," Death replies; 
" However, you still keep your eyes; 
- And surely, sir, to see one's friends, 

For legs and arms would make amends." 
" Perhaps," says Dodson, " so it might, 

But latterly I've lost my sight." 
" This is a shocking story, faith; 

But there's some comfort still," says Death; 
" Each strives your sadness to amuse; 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 209 

I warrant you hear all the news." 
" There's none," cries he, " and if there were, 
I've grown so deaf, I could not hear." 

8. "Nay, then," the specter stern rejoined, 
"These are unpardonable yearnings; 
If you are lame, and deaf, and blind, 
You've had .your three sufficient warnings, 
So, come along; no more we'll part; " 
He said, and touched him with his dart; 
And now old Dodson, turning pale, 
Yields to his fate — so ends my tale. 



THE DUELISTS VICTORY, 

GEORGE T. LANERGAN. 



1. 'Twas in the year of battles, the red year ninety-three. 

Through an iron ring of foemen, France was striving to break free, 
And we fought beneath her banners in rags and poorly fed; 
But a man can march to China with iron and with bread. 

2. ~SYe were camped upon the frontier where the glorious river smiles; 
The Austrian fires before us burned red for miles and miles, 

And round a drum-head standing, by a single lantern's light, 
Carnot and his staff were planning the morrow's furious fight. 

3. Two officers came to him, young soldiers both, but tried; 

" My General, we have quarreled — our weapons must decide 
Upon whose side the wrong was, upon whose side the right. 
Give us leave to try the issue in combat here tonight? " 

4. He sighed and smiled, the General, then spake he to the two: 
"The lives that you would venture, do they belong to you? 
When against her like wolves are howling the vengeful Cossack 

hordes, 
Should France's sons be goring French bosoms with French swords? 

5. "You both have marched together, you have fought side by side; 
No need to doubt the courage that has so oft been tried. 



210 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

But since you need will test it, come hither," and he strode 
Forth from the tent and pointed where the Austrian camp fires 
glowed. 

6. " Tomorrow morn at sunrise we move upon the foe; 

At those earthworks in the center there'll be hot work, I trow. 

I shall place jthi in the vanguard, and in the army's sight 

You can prove which in your quarrel was wrong and which was 

right." 

7. Up rose the sun next morning, red in a stormy sky, 

Fit opening of the day whereon ten thousand men should die! 
And all of us were watching — for swift the story flew — 
The soldiers who had quarreled, 'mong the enfans perdus. 

8. At last it came, the signal! The drummer smote his drum, 
Each duelist bowed coldly and said to the other, " Come ! " 
We sprang up from the ditches, and as we scrambled out 

We saw them dashing down the field on toward the great redoubt. 

9. And so we followed after, over the slippery plain, 

The Austrian bullets pelting like hissing sheets of rain, 

And the cannon roaring louder and more frequent through the cloud, 

And a hundred drummers rattling the pas-de-charge aloud. 

10. There were two thousand of us when first we scrambled out, 
Five hundred of us only reached the crest of the redoubt, 

And oft as through the clinging smoke the cannon's flash glared red, 
We could see the two young duelists still racing on ahead. 

11. Then all at once a shock that seemed to make the whole world reel, 
Fierce yells, and curses, and deep groans, and clang of steel on steel, 
And we could see the Austrian flag amid a smoky pall, 

Tossing and wavering to and fro like a tree about to fall. 

12. One of the two had seized it — which one we never knew — 
Both were hewing at the foemen as sturdy woodmen hew. 
Against two men twelve hundred! The odds were far from just, 
So we dashed in and backward the struggling Austrians thrust. 

13. And long before the foemen took breath and could combine 

To shake the wedge the master-hand had driven through his line, 

Carnot was hurrying to our help his every man and gun, 

And the fight was gained by that redoubt the duelists had won. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 211 

14. Then said the General, laughing: "Which was braver of the two? " 
" You were! " one officer replied. His comrade said: " No— you! " 

u You seized the Austrian standard first! 'Twas merely mine to save 
Your life when you had torn it down! You're bravest! You're most 
brave! " 

15. Right gayly laughed the General: " If any doubt remain, 
When next we meet the enemy just test the thing again; 

Shake hands! " " No need to, General, for our hands somehow met 
As we plucked this flower from the hedge of the Austrian bayonet!" 



A CHRISTMAS REMINISCENCE, 

HARRIET ADAMS SAWYER. 

'Twas an old and stately dwelling, 

Home of generations gone; 
Eve of Christmas — almost midnight 

Where an old pair lived alone. 
Heavily the sire was sleeping, 

No light sound disturbs his dreams, 
Four score years have dulled his hearing, 

In some far-off land he seems; 
But the mother heart is wakeful, 

Memory holds her eyes from sleep; 
Scores of years now pass before her, 

With them she will vigil keep. 
There are children round the hearth-stone, 

Loud and merry is their song; 
Christmas fires and joys burn brightly, 

Christmas songs their notes prolong. 
'Round the ample open fire-place 

Apples sputter— mirth holds sway, 
" Blind man's buff " and " Copenhagen" 

Drive the older heads away. 
See the children — three fair daughters 

And a sturdy, manly son — 
He should be their prop and comfort 



212 RATIONAL ELOCUTIOX. 

When their active toil was done. 
'Twas so pleasant to look forward — 

Sweet, low songs does promise sing — 
Telling how old age shall brighten 

'Neath the smiles the children bring. 
When the toil should be forgotten, 

Hope to sweet fruition bloom— 
They should press the hands of children 

Down the shadows — to the tomb. 
Why tonight this ominous stillness? 

Why no sound of childish glee? 
One by one the Master called them 

From this home with Him to be. 
Only one pale lily left He, 

In another garden sown — 
So the house is still as church-yard, 

And the mother thinks alone. 
Through the darkness she is peering 

As with longing memory vies, 
For she brings before her vision 

Visitors from far-off skies 
In his manhood, strong and kingly, 

Stands the son of other days, 
And a sister stands beside him, 

Fair and tall with smiling face. 
Hushed, the sighing of the mother, 

She dared not speak, lest they begone; 
Oh, how blessed, even in fancy, 

To again behold her own! 
Softly breathed she while the vision 

Passed — as silent as it came. 
Not a word was spoken to her, 

Nor breathed the mother's lips one name; 
When, ere long, the vision faded— 

What! she thought, Am I alone? 
When the promise of the ages 

All across her soul was thrown. 
For " Behold, I'm with you always," 

Calmed the mother's troubled breast; 
" Sleep " He gave to " His beloved," 

To His weary gave He rest. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 213 

THE DILEMMA. 

0. W. HOLMES. 

Now, by the blessed Paphian queen, 
Who heaves the breast of sweet sixteen; 
By every name I cut on bark 
Before my morning star grew dark; 
By Hymen's torch, by Cupid's dart, 
By all that thrills the beating heart; 
The bright black eye, the melting blue — 
I cannot choose between the two. 

I had a vision in my dreams; — 
I saw a row of twenty beams; 
From every beam a rope was hung, 
In every rope a lover swung. 
I asked the hue of ever}^ eye 
That bade each luckless lover die; 
Ten livid lips said, heavenly blue, 
And ten accused the darker hue. 

I asked a matron, which she deemed 
With fairest light of beaut} r beamed; 
She answered, some thought both were fair — 
Give her blue eyes and golden hair. 
I might have liked her judgment well, 
But as she spoke, she rung the bell, 
And all her girls, nor small nor few, 
Came marching in — their eyes were blue. 

I asked a maiden; back she flung 
The locks that round her forehead hung, 
And turned her eye, a glorious one, 
Bright as a diamond in the sun, 
On me, until, beneath its rays, 
I felt as if my hair would blaze; 
She liked all eyes but eyes of green; 
She looked at me; what could she mean? 

Ah! many lids Love lurks between, 
Nor heeds the coloring of his screen; 
And when his random "arrows fiy, 
The victim falls, but knows not why. 



214 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Gaze not upon his shield of jet, 
The shaft upon the string is set; 
Look not beneath his azure veil, 
Though every limb were cased in mail. 

Well both might make a martyr break 
The chain that bound him to the stake, 
And both, with but a single ray, 
Can melt our very hearts away; 
And both, when balanced, hardly seem 
To stir the scales, or rock the beam; 
But that is dearest, all the while, 
That wears for us the sweetest smile. 



"O, BAIRNIES, CUDDLE DOON." 

The f o owing poem, which fairly rivals the most exquisite 

and tender of Burns' household lyrics, was written by a common 

Scotch laborer, some fifteen years ago. He was a section-hand 

on the North British railroad and the poem was published in a 

local paper. 

The bairnies cuddle doon at nicht 

Wi' muckle faucht an' din; 
O, try an' sleep, ye waukrif e rogues, 

Your father's comin' in . 
They never heed a word I speak, 

I try to gi'e a frown; 
But aye I hap them up an' say, 
" O, bairnies, cuddle doon! " 

Wee Jamie wi' the curly heid, 

He aye sleeps next the wa', 
Bangs up an' cries, " I want a piece; " 

The rascal starts them a'. 
I rin' and fetch them pieces, drinks, 

They stop a wee the soun', 
Then draw the blankets up an' cry, 
" Noo, weanies, cuddle doon! ' 

But ere five minutes gang, wee Rab 
Cries out, frae 'neath the claes, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. £10 

" Mither, rnak' Tam gi'e owre at ance, 

He's kitt in' wi' his taes." 
The mischief's in that Tam for tricks, 

He'd bother ha'f the toon; 
But aye I hap them up an say, 
" O, bairnies, cuddle doon! " 

At length they hear their father's fit, 

An' as he steeks the door, 
They turn their faces to the wa' 
While Tam pretends to snore. 
" Hae a' the weans been gude? " he asks 

As he pits aff his shoon. 
" The bairnies, John, are in their beds, 
An' lang since cuddled doon." 

And just before we bed oorsels, 

We look at oor wee lambs; 
Tam has his airm roun' wee Rab's neck, 

And Rab his airm roun' Tarn's. 
I lift wee Jamie up the bed, 

An' as I straik each croon, 
I whisper, till my heart fills up, 
" O, bairnies, cuddle doon! '' 

The bairnies cuddle doon at nicht 

Wi' mirth that's dear to me; 
But soon the big warl's cark and care 

Will quaten doon their glee. 
Yet come what may to ilka ane, 

May He what rules aboon, 
Aye whisper, though theirs pows be bauld, 
" O, bairnies, cuddle doon! " 



JOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE. 

FITZ-GREENE HALLECK. 

Green be the turf above thee, 
Friend of my better days ! 

None knew thee but to love thee, 
None named thee but to praise. 



216 BATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Tears fell when thou wert dying, 
From eyes unused to weep, 

And long, where thou art lying, 
Will tears the cold turf steep. 

When hearts, whose truth was proven, 
Like thine, are laid in earth, 

There should a wreath be woven 
To tell their world their worth. 

And I, who woke each morrow 
To clasp thy hand in mine, 

Who shared thy joy and sorrow, 
Whose weal and woe were thine,— 

It should be mine to braid it 
Around thy faded brow, 

But I 've in vain essayed it, 
And feel I cannot now. 



While memory bids me weep thee^ 
Nor thoughts nor words are free, 

The grief is fixed too deeply 
That mourns a man like thee. 



DESPAIR, 

J. G. HOLLAND. 



Ah ! what is so dead as a perished delight ! 

Or a passion outlived ! or a scheme overthrown I 
Save the bankrupt heart it has left in its flight, 

Still as quick as the eye, but as cold as a stone ? 

The honey-bee hoards fo:r its winter-long need 
The treasure it gathers in joy from the flowers ; 

And drinks in each sip of its silvery mead 
The flavor and flush of the sweet summer hours. 

But a pleasure expires at its earliest breath ; 

No labor can hoard it, no cunning can save ; 
For the song of its life is the sigh of its death, 

And the sense it has thrilled is its shroud and its grave 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 217 

All ! what is our love, with its tincture of lust, 

And its pleasure that pains us and pain that endears, 

But joy in an armful of beautiful dust 
That crumbles and flies on the wings of the years. 

And what is ambition for glory and power, 

But desire to be reckoned the uppermost fool 
Of a million of fools, for a pitiful hour, 

And be cursed for a tyrant, or kicked for a tool ? 

Nay, what is the noblest that art can achieve, 

But to conjure a vision of light to the eyes, 
That will pale ere we paint if, and pall ere we leave 

On the heart it betrays and the hand it defies. 

We love, and we long with an infinite greed 
For a love that will fill our deep longing, in vain ; 

The cup that we drink of is pleasant indeed, 
Yet it holds but a drop of the heavenly rain. 

We plan for our powers the divinest we can ; 

We do with our powers the supremest w r e maj r ; 
And, winning or losing, for labor and plan 

The best that we garner is — rest and decay ! 

Content — satisfaction — who wins them ? Look down ! 

They are held without thought by the dolts and the drones : 
'Tis the slave who in carelessness carries the crown ; 

And the hovels have kinglier men than the thrones. 

The maid sings of love to the hum of her wheel ; 

And her lover responds as he follows his team ; 
They wed, and their children come quickly to seal 

In fulfillment the pledge of their loftiest dream. 

With humblest ambitions and homeliest fare, 
Contented, though toiling, they travel abreast, 

Till the kind hand of death lifts their burden of care,. 
And they sink, in the faith of their fathers, to rest. 

Did I beg to be born ? Did I seek to exist ? 

Did I bargain for promptings to loftier gain ? 
Did I ask for a brain, with contempt of the fist, 

That could win a reward for its labor and pain ? 



218 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Was it kind — the strong promise that girded my youth ? 

Was it good — the endowment of motive and skill ? 
Was it well to succeed, when success was, in truth, 

But the saddest of failure ? Make answer, who will ! 

Do I rave without reason ? Why, look you, I pray, 
I have won all I sought of the highest and best ; 

But it brings me no guerdon ; and, hopeless, today 
I am poorer than when I set out on the quest. 

Oh ! emptiness ! Life, what art thou but a lie, 
Which I greeted and honored with hopefulest trust ? 

Bah ! the beautiful apples that tempted my eye 
Break dead on my tongue into ashes and dust ! 

" A Father who loves all the children of men ? " 
" A future to fill all these bottomless gaps? " 
But one life has failed ; can I fasten again, 
With my faith and my hope, to a specious Perhaps ? 

O ! man who begat me ! O ! woman who bore ! 

AVhy, why did you call me to being and breath ? 
With ruin behind me, and darkness before, 

I have nothing to long for, or live for, but death ! 



INCIDENT OF THE FRENCH CAMP. 

ROBERT BROWNING. 

You know we French stormed Ratisbon: 

A mile or so away, 
On a little mound, Napoleon 

Stood on our storming day ; 
With neck out thrust, you fancy how, 

Legs wide, arms locked behind, 
As if to balance the prone brow, 

Oppressive with its mind. 

Just as perhaps he mused, " My plans 

That soar, to earth may fall, 
Let once my army-leader, Lannes, 

Waver at yonder wall " — 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 219 

Out 'twixt the battery smokes there blew 

A rider, bound on bound, 
Full galloping ; nor bridle drew 

Until he reached the mound. 

Then off there flung, in smiling joy, 

And held himself erect 
By just his horse's mane, a boy ; 

You hardly could suspect, 
(So tight he kept his lips compressed 

Scarce any blood came through), 
You looked twice ere you saw his breast 

"Was all but shot in two. 

"Well," cried he, " Emperor, by God's grace, 

We 've got you Ratisbon ! 
The marshal 's in the market-place, 

And you '11 be there anon 
To see your flag-bird flap his vans 

Where I, to heart's desire 
Perched him ! " The chief's eye flashed ; his plans 

Soared up again, like fire. 

The chief's eye flashed ; but presently 

Softened itself, as sheathes 
A film the mother-eagle's eye 
When her bruised eaglet breathes : 
"You're wounded ! " " Nay," his soldier's pride 

Touched to the quick, he said : 
" I 'm killed, sire ! " And, his chief beside, 
Smiling, the boy fell dead. 



MAUD MULLER. 



Maud Muller, von summer afternoon 
Vas dending bar in her fadder's saloon. 

She solt dot bier, und singed "Shoo Fly," 
Und vinked at der men mit her lefd eye. 

But ven she looked oud on der shdreed, 
Und saw dem gals all dressed so shweed, 



220 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Her song gifed out on a ubber note, 

Cause she had such a hoss in her troat; 
Und she vished she had shdamps to shpend, 

So she might git such a Grecian Bend. 
Hans Brinker valked shlowly down der shdreed, 

Shrnilin' at all der gals he'd meed; 
Old Hans vas rich— as I been dold, — 

Had houses und lots, und a barrel of gold. 
He shdopped py der door, und pooty soon 

He valked righd indo dot bier saloon. 
Und he vinked at Maud, und said, " My dear, 

Gif me, of you pblease, a glass of beer." 
She vend to der pblace vere der bier keg shtood, 

Und pringed him a glass dot vas fresh und goot. 
" Dot's goot," says Hans, " dot's a better drink 

As effer I had in mine life, I dink." 
He dalked for a vhile, den said, "Goot day," 

Und up der shdreet he dook his vay. 
Maud hofed a sigh, and said, " Oh, how 

I'de like to been dot olt man's frow, 
Such shplendid close I den vood vear, 

Dot all the gals around vood shdare. 
In dot Central Park I'd drive all tay, 

Und efery evenin' go to der blay." 
Hans Brinker, doo, felt almighty gweer, 

(But dot mite peen von trinkin' bier.) 
Und he says to himself, as he valked along, 

Hummin' der dune of a olt lof song, 
" Dot's der finest gal I efer did see, 

Und I vish dot she my wife cood be." 
But here his solillogwy came to an end, 

As he dinked of der gol' dot she might shbend; ' 
Und he maked up his mind dot as for him, 

He'd marry a gal mit lots of " din." 
So he vent righd off dot fery day, 

Und married a vooman olt and gray. 
He vishes now, but all in vain, 

Dot he vas free to marry again; 
Free as he vos dot afdernoon, 

Ven he med Maud Muller in der bier saloon. 
Maud married a man without some " soap "— 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 22! 

-but she did hope 
Dot he'd get bedder when shildren came; 

But vhen dey had, he vas yoost der same. 
Und ofden now dem dears vill come, 

As she sits alone ven her day's vork's done, 
Und dinks of der day Hans called her "my dear," 

Und asked her for a glass of bier; 
But she don'd comblain, nor efer has, 

Und onloy says, " Dot coodn't vas." 



A RAILWAY MATINEE. 

R. J. BURDETTE. 



The last time I ran home over the Chicago, Burlington and 
Quincy we had a very small, but select and entertaining party on the 
train. It was a warm day, and everybody'was tired with the long ride 
and oppressed by the heat. The precise woman, with her hat swathed 
in an immense blue veil, who always parsed her sentences before she 
uttered them, utterly worn out and thoroughly lonesome, was glad to 
respond to the pleasant nod of the big rough man who got on at Mon- 
mouth, and didn't know enough grammar to ask for the mustard, so that 
you could tell whether he wanted you to pass it to him or pour it on 
his hair. 

The thin, troubled-looking man with the sandy goatee, who 
stammered so dreadfully that he always forgot what he wanted to say 
before he got through wrestling with any word with a " W " in it, lit 
up with a tremulous, hesitating smile, as he noticed this indication of 
sociability, for like most men who find it extremely difficult to talk at 
all, he wanted to talk all the time. 

And the fat old gentleman sitting opposite him, who was so 
deaf that he could not hear the cars rattle, and always awed and 
bothered the stammerer into silence by sayiug "Hey?" in a very im- 
perative tone, every time he got in the middle of a hard word, cocked 
his irascible head on one side as he saw this smile, and after listening 
intently to dead silence for a minute, suddenly broke out with such an 
emphatic, impatient, " Hey? " that everybody in the car started up and 
shouted nervously and ungrammatically, " I didn't say nothing! " with the 
exception of the woman with the blue veil, who said: " I said nothing." 



222 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

The fat old gentleman was a little annoyed and startled by 
such a chorus of responses, and fixing his gaze still more intently upon 
the thin man, said defiantly: 

" Wha' say ? " 

" I-I-I-l w-w-wuh-wuh-wasn'-wasn' -I wasn' s-s-sp — speak — " 

" Hey ? " roared the fat man. 

" He wa'n't sayin' nauthin'," shouted the big rough man, nodding 
friendly encouragement to the thin man; "he hain't opened his 
mouth!" 

" Soap in the South?" queried the fat old gentleman, impatiently. 
"Wha' for?" 

"Mouth, mouth," explained the precise woman, with impressive 
nicety. " He said ' opened his mouth.' The gentleman seated directly 
opposite you was — " 

"Offers to chew what?" cried the fat old gentleman in amaze- 
ment. 

" Sir," said the precise woman, " I made no reference whatever to 
chewing. You certainly misunderstood me." 

The thin man took courage from so many reinforcements, and 
broke in: 

" I-I-I-I d-d-d-dud-d-u-d-d-u-d- don't don't— I don't ch-ch-ch— " 

"Hey? " shouted the fat gentleman. 

"He don't chaw nauthin'! " roared the big rough man, in a voice 
that made the car windows rattle. " He wa'n't a talkin' when you shot 
off at him!" 

" Who got off?" exclaimed the fat old gentlemen. " Wha'd he get 
off for?" 

" You don't appear to comprehend clearly what he stated," shrieked 
the precise woman. " No person has left the train." 

" Then wha'd he say so for? " shouted the fat man. 

" Oh!" said the thin man, in a surprising burst of fluency; "he- 
he-de-d-d did-did— " 

"Who did?" queried the fat man, talking louder than any one else. 

" Num-num-num-num-n-no-nobody. He — he — d-d-d-d-dud-didn't 
didn't s— " 

"Then wha' made you say he did? " howled the deaf man. 

" You misunderstand him," interrupted the precise woman. "He 
was probably about to remark that no reference whatever had been in- 
tentionally made to the departure of any person from the train, when you 
interrupted him in the midst of an unfinished sentence, and hence ob- 
tained an erroneous impression of the tenor of his remarks. He meant 
no offense — " 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 223 

"Know a fence?" roared the fat man. "Of course I know a 
fence!" 

" He hain't got iniddlin' good hearin," yelled the big man, as 
apologetically as a steam whistle could have shrieked it. " Y'ears kind 
of stuffed up!" 

"Time to brush up?" cried the fat man. " Wha' for? '' 

"No," shrieked the precise woman; "he remarked to the other 
gentleman that your hearing appeared to be rather defective." 

" His father a detective?" hooted the fat gentleman, in amazement. 

" N-n-n-n-nun-nun-no! " broke in the thin man; "h-h-h-h-huh-huh- 
he-s-3-sa-sa-said-said you w-w-w-wuh was a little dud-dud — was a little 
deaf?" 

"Said I was a thief?" howled the fat man, a scarlet tornado of 
wrath; "said I was a thief! Wha'd d'ye mean? Show him to me! 
Who says I'm a thief? Who says so ? " 

" Now," shouted the big rough man, " nobody don't say ye ain't no 
thief. I jest say ed as how- we didn't git along very well. Ye see he," 
nodding to the thin man, "he can't talk very well, an' — " 

"Wh-wh-wh-why c-c-can't I t-t-t-tut-tut-tut-talk? " broke in the 
thin man, white with rage. "I-I-I-I'd like t-t-to know wh-wh-wh-what's 
the reason I c-c-can't tut-tut-talk as w-w-w-well as any bub-bub-body 
that's bub bub-bub-been tut-tut talking on this car ever s-s-s-since the 
tut-tut-tut— " 

"Hey? "roared the fat man, in an explosion of indignant sus- 
picion. 

" I was sayiu'," howled the big rough man, " as how he didn't talk 
middlin' well—" 

" Should say so," growled the fat man, in tones of intense satis- 
faction. 

"And," the big rough man went on, yelling with delight at 
having made the old party hear something, "and you can't hear only 
tollable—" 

" Can't hear? " the fat old gentleman broke out in a resonant roar. 
" Can't hear ! Like to know why I can't hear ! Why can't I ? If 
I couldn't hear better than half the people on this train I'd cut off 
my ears ! Can't hear ? It's news to me if I can't. I'd like to know 
who—" 

"Burlington!" yelled the brakeman. "Chang' car fr Keokuk, 
Ceed Rap's an' For' Mad'son! This car f'r Omaha? Twen' mints f'r 
supper! " 

And but for this timely interruption, I don't think our pleasant 
little party wouldhave got out of that SDarl this side of San Francisco^ 



224 EATIOXAL ELOCUTION. 

THE MAN WHO APOLOGIZED. 

It was at the corner of Woodward avenue and Congress street, and 
the time was ten o'clock in the forenoon. A citizen who stands solid 
at two hundred pounds was walking along with bright eyes, and the 
birds singing in his heart, when all at once he found himself looking 
up at the cloudy heavens, and a voice up the street seemed to say: — 

" Did you see the old duffer strike that icy spot and claw for grass? " 

Then another voice down the street seemed to say:— 

"You bet I did! He's lyin' there yit, but he'd get right up if he 
knew how big his foot looked! " 

The solid citizen did get up. The first thing he saw was the 
beautiful city spread out before him. The next thing was a slim man 
with bone-colored whiskers, who was leaning against a building and 
laughing as if his heart would break. 

"I can knock your jaw off in three minutes!" exclaimed the 
citizen, as he fished for the end of his broken suspender. 

The slim man didn't deny it. He hadn't time. He had his hands full 
to attend to his laughing. The solid man finally found the suspender, 
counted up four missing buttons and his vest split up the back, and 
slowly went on, looking back and wondering whether he could be held 
for damages to the sidewalk. He had been in his office about ten 
minutes, and had just finished telling a clerk that an express team 
knocked him down, when in came the slim man with bone-colored 
whiskers. The solid man recognized him and put on a frown, but the 
other held out his hand and said:— 

" Mister, I came to beg your pardon. You fell on the walk and I 
laughed at you, but — ha! ha! ha! — upon my soul, I couldn't help it. It 
was the — ha! ha! ha! — funniest sight I ever saw, and — oh! ho! ho! ho! 
ha! ha! — I couldn't help laughing!" 

"I want none o' your penitence and none o' your company!" 
sharply replied the solid man, and the other went out. 

In about an hour the " fallen man " had to go over to the express 
office. The man with the bone-colored whiskers was there with a 
package, and he reached out his hand and began: — 

"Sir, I ask your forgiveness. I know what belongs to dignity and 
good manners, but — but— ha! ha! — when I saw your heels shoot out and 
your shoulders — ha! ha! ha!— double up, I had to — ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! 
ah-h-h h!" 

" I'll lick you if I ever get a good chance! J remarked the citizen, 
but yet the man sat down on a box and laughed till the tears came. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 225 

In the afternoon as the citizen was about to take a car for home s 
some one touched him on the elbow. It was the man with the bone- 
colored whiskers. His face had a very serious, earnest look, and he 
began:— 

" Citizen, I am positively ashamed of myself. I am going to settle 
in Detroit, and shall see you often. I want to ask your forgiveness for 
laughing at 3 r ou this morning. " 

He seemed so serious that the solid man began to relax his stern 
look, and he was about to extend his hand, when the other continued: — 

" You see we are all— ha! ha! ha! liable to accident. I, myself, 
have often — ha! ha! ha!— struck an icy spot and — ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! — 
gone down to grass — ah! ha! ho! ha! ho! ha! " 

The solid citizen withdrew his hand, braced his feet, drew his 
breath and struck to mash the other fine. His foot slipped, and the next 
he knew he was plowing his nose into the hard snow. When he got up 
the man with the bone-colored whiskers was hanging to a hitching- 
post, and as black in the face as an old hat. The citizen should have 
killed him, then and there, but he didn't. He made for a car like a 
bear going over a brush fence, and his efforts to look innocent and un- 
concerned after he sat down, broke his other suspender dead in two. 
Such is life. No man can tell what an icy spot will bring forth. 

—Detroit Free Press. 



THE LORD OF BURLEIGH. 

ALFRED TENNYSON. 

In her ear he whispers gaily, 
" If my heart by signs can tell, 
Maiden, I have watched thee daily, 
And I think'thou lov'est me well." 
She replies, in accents fainter, 
" There is none I love like thee." 
He is but a landscape-painter, 
And a village maiden she. 

He to lips, that fondly falter, 
Presses his without reproof; 
Leads her to the village altar. 
And they leave her father's rooL 



226 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

"I can make no marriage present; 
Little can I give my wife. 
Love will make our cottage pleasant, 
And I love thee more than life." 

3. They by parks and lodges going 
See the lordly castles stand; 
Summer woods, about them blowing, 
Made a murmur in the land. 

From deep thought himself he rouses, 
Says to her that loves him well, 
" Let us see these handsome houses 
Where the wealthy nobles dwell." 

4. So she goes by him attended, 
Hears him lovingly converse, 
Sees whatever fair and splendid 
Lay betwixt his home and hers: 
Parks with oaks and chestnut shady, 
Parks and ordered gardens great, 
Ancient homes of lord and lady, 
Built for pleasure and for state. 

5. All he shows her makes him dearer; 
Evermore she seems to gaze 

On that cottage growing nearer, 
Where they twain will spend their days, 
Oh, but she will love him truly! 
He shall have a cheerful home; 
She will order all things duly, 
When beneath his roof they come. 

6. Thus her heart rejoices greatly, 
Till the gateway she discerns 
With armorial bearings stately, 
And beneath the gate she turns; 
Sees a mansion more majestic 
Then all those she saw before; 
Many a gallant gay domestic 
Bows before him at the door. 

7. And they speak in gentle murmur. 
When they answer to his call, 
While he treads with footstep firmer,, 
Leading on from hall to hall. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 227 

And, while now she wonders blindly, 
Nor the meaning can divine, 
Proudly turns he round and kindly, 
" All of this is mine and thine." 

8. Here he lives in state and bounty, 
Lord of Burleigh, fair and free, 
Not a lord in all the county 

Is so great a lord as he. 
All at once the color flushes 
Her sweet face from brow to chin: 
As it were with shame she blushes, 
And her spirit changed within. 

9. Then her countenance all over 
Pale again as death did prove; 
But he clasped her like a lover, 
And he cheered her soul with love. 
So she strove against her weakness, 
Though at times her spirit sank; 
Shaped her heart with woman's meekness 
To all duties of her rank: 

10. And a gentle consort made he, 
And her gentle mind was such 
That she grew a noble lady, 
And the people loved her much. 
But a trouble weighed upon her, 
And perplexed her, night and morn, 
With the burden of an honor 

Unto which she was not born. 

11. Faint she grew, and even fainter, 
As she murmured, " Oh, that he 
Were once more that landscape-painter, 
Which did win my heart from me ! " 

So she drooped and drooped before him, 
Fading slowly from his side: 
Three fair children first she bore him 
Then before her time she died. 

12. Weeping, weeping late and early, 
Walking up and pacing down, 
Deeply mourned the Lord of Burleigh, 
Burleigh-house by Stamford-town. 



228 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

And he came to look upon her, 
And he looked, at her and said, 
"Bring the dress and put it on her, 
That she wore when she was wed." 

13. Then her people, softly treading, 
Bore to earth her body, drest 
In the dress that she was wed in, 
That her spirit might have rest. 



ABOU BEN-ADHEM. 

LEIGH HUNT. 

1. Abou Ben-Adhem (may his tribe increase!) 
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace, 
And saw. within the moonlight in his room, 
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom, 

An angel, writing in a book of gold. 

2. Exceeding peace had made Ben-Adhem bold; 
And to the presence in the room he said, 

"What writest thou? " The vision raised its head, 
And, with a look made all of sweet accord, 
Answered, " The names of those who love the Lord," 

"And is mine one? " said Abou. " Nay, not so," 
Replied the angel. Abou spake more low, 
But cheerily still, and said, " I pray thee then, 

Write me as one that loves his fellow-men." 

« 

3. The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night 
It came again, with a great wakening light, 

And showed the names whom love of God had blessed, 
And lo, Ben-Adhem's name led all the rest. 



HIS MOTHER'S SONGS. 

ANONYMOUS. 

Beneath the hot midsummer sun, 
The men had marched all day; 

And now beside a rippling stream, 
Upon the grass they lay. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 229 

2. Tiring of games and idle jests, 

As swept the hours along, 
They called to one who mused apart, 
" Come, friend, give us a song." 

3. " I fear I cannot please," he said; 

" The only songs I know 
Are those my mother used to sing 
For me long years ago." 

4. " Sing one of those," a rough voice cried; 

" There's none but true men here; 
To every mother's son of us 
A mother's songs are dear." 

5. Then sweetly rose the singer's voice 
Amid unwonted calm; 
" Am I a soldier of the Cross, 
A follower of the Lamb. 

6. "And shall I fear to own His cause " — 

The very stream was stilled; 
And hearts that never throbbed with fear. 
With tender thoughts were filled. 

7. Ended the song, the singer said, 

As to his feet he rose, 
" Thanks to you all, my friends, good night, 
God grant us sweet repose." 

8. " Sing us one more," the captain begged; 

The soldier bent his head; 
Then glancing 'round, with smiling lips, 
"You'll join with me," he said. 

9. " We'll sing this old familiar air, 

Sweet as the bugle call; 
* All hail the power of Jesus' name, 
Let angels prostrate fall.' " 

10. Ah, wondrous was the old tune's spell^ 
As on the singer sang; 
Man after man fell into line, 
And loud the voices rang. 



230 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

11. The songs are done, the camp is still, 
Naught but the stream is heard; 
But ah, the depths of every soul 
By those old hymns are stirred. 

12o And up from many a bearded lip, 
In whispers soft and low, 
Rises the prayer the mother taught 
The boy long years ago. 



BEAUTIFUL THINGS. 

ELLEN P. ALLERTON. 

1. Beautiful faces are those that wear — 
It matters but little if dark or fair — 
Whole-souled honesty printed there. 

2. Beautiful eyes are those that show, 

Like crystal panes where hearth-fires glow. 
Beautiful thoughts that burn below. 

3. Beautiful lips are those where words 
Leap from the heart like songs of birds, 
Yet whose utterance prudence girds. 

4. Beautiful hands are those that do 
Work that is earnest and brave and true, 
Moment by moment, the long day through. 

5. Beautiful feet are those that go 
On kindly ministries, to and fro — 
Down lowliest ways, if God wills it so. 

6. Beautiful shoulders are those that bear 
Ceaseless burdens of hourly care 
With patient grace and daily prayer. 

7. Beautiful lives are those that bless — 
Silent rivers of happiness, 

Whose hidden fountains but few may guess, 



Q 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS, 231 

Beautiful twilight at set of sun, 
Beautiful goal, with race well won, 
Beautiful rest, with work well done. 

Beautiful graves, where grasses creep, 

Where brown leaves fall, where drifts lie deep 

Over worn-out hands — oh, beautiful sleep! 



PRAYER AND POTATOES. 

REV, J. T. PETTEE. 



1. An old lady sat in her old arm-chair, 
With wrinkled visage and disheveled hair, 

And pale and hunger-worn features; 
For days and for weeks her only fare, 
As she sat there in her old arm-chair, 

Had been potatoes. 

2. But now they were gone; of bad or good, 
Not one was left for the old lady's food 

Of those potatoes; 
And she sighed and said, "What shall I do? 
Where shall I send, and to whom shall I go 

For more potatoes? " 

3. And she thought of the deacon over the way, 
The deacon so ready to worship and pray, 

Whose cellar was full of potatoes, 
And she said, " I will send for the deacon to come; 
He'll not mind much to give me some 

Of such a store of potatoes." 

4. And the deacon came over as fast as he could, 
Thinking to do the old lady some good, 

But never for once of potatoes; 
He asked her at once what was her chief want, 
And she, simple soul, expecting a grant, 

Immediately answered, " Potatoes." 



! RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

5, But the deacon's religion didn't lie that way; 
He was more accustomed to preach and to pray, 

Than to give of his hoarded potatoes; 
So, not hearing of course, what the old lady said, 
He rose to pray with uncovered head, 
But she only thought of potatoes. 

6 He prayed for patience, and wisdom, and grace, 
But when he prayed, " Lord, give her peace," 

She audibly sighed, " Give potatoes; " 
And at the end of each prayer which he said, 
He heard, or thought that he heard in its stead, 

That same request for potatoes. 

7. The deacon was troubled; knew not what to do; 
'Twas very embarrassing to have her act so 

About " those carnal potatoes; " 
So, ending his prayer, he started for home; 
But, as the door closed behind him, he heard a deep groan. 

" 0, give to the hungry, potatoes ! " 

8. And that groan followed him all the way home; 
In the midst of the night it haunted his room — ■ 

" 0, give to the hungry, potatoes!'''' 
He could bear it no longer; arose and dressed: 
From his well-filled cellar taking in haste 

A bag of his best potatoes. 

9„ Again he went to the widow's lone hut; 
Her sleepless eyes she had not shut; 
But there she sat in that old arm-chair, 
With the same wan features, the same sad air; 
And, entering in, he poured on the floor 
A bushel or more from his goodly store, 
Of choicest potatoes. 

10. The widow's heart leaped up for joy, 

Her face was haggard and wan no more, 
"Now," said the deacon, "shall we pray?" 
" Yes," said the widow, " noio you may." 

And he kneeled him down on the sanded floor, 

Where he had poured his goodly store, 

And such a prayer the deacon prayed, 

As never before his lips essayed; 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 233 

No longer embarrassed, but free and full, 

He poured out the voice of a liberal soul, 

And the widow responded aloud " amen! ,9 

But said no more of potatoes. 

11. And would you, who hear this simple tale, 
Pray for the poor, and praying, "prevail?" 
Then preface your prayers with alms and good deeds: 
Search out the poor, their wants and their needs: 
Pray for peace, and grace, and spiritual food, 
For wisdom and guidance — for all these are good — 
But don't forget the potatoes. 



THE DEATH OF MARMION. 

SIR WALTER SCOTT. 

Wide raged the battle on the plain; 
Spears shook, and falchions flashed amain; 
Fell England's arrow-flight like rain; 
And crests of Scottish chieftains brave 
Floated like foam upon the wave; 
Yet still amid the tumult high 
England saw Marmion's pennon fly. 

The border slogan rent the sky: 
" A Home! a Gordon! " was the cry: 
Loud were the clanging blows! 
Advanced — forced back — now low, now high, 

The pennon sank and rose; 
As bends the bark's mast in the gale, 
When rent are rigging, shrouds and sail, 
It wavered 'mid the foes. 

Swift to the fray Blount rode amain, 
Followed by all the archer train. 
The fiery youth, with desperate charge, 
Made, for a space, an opening large; — 

The rescued banner rose; 
But darkly closed the war around- 
Like pine-tree rooted from the ground, 

It sank among the foes! 



234 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

4. Then, fast as shaft can fly, 
Bloodshot his eyes, his nostrils spread, 
The loose rein dangling from his head, 
Housing and saddle bloody red, 

Lord Marmion's steed rushed by. 

5. And soon, straight up the hill there rode 

Two horsemen drenched with gore, 
And in their arms, a helpless load, 

A wounded knight they bore. 
His hand still strained the broken brand, 
His arms were smeared with blood and sand. 
Dragged from among the horses' feet, 
With dinted shield, and helmet beat, 
The falcon crest and plumage gone,— 
Can that be haughty Marmion? 

6. Young Blount his armor did unlace, 
And, gazing on his ghastly face, 

Said: " By Saint George, he's gone! 
That spear- wound has our master sped; 
And see the deep cut on his head! 

Good-night to Marmion! " — 
" "Unnurtured Blount! thy brawling cease: 
He opes his eyes," said Eustace; "peace!" 

7 When, doffed his casque, he felt free air, 
Around 'gan Marmion wildly stare:— 
" Where's Harry Blount? Fitz Eustace where? 
Linger ye here, ye hearts of hare! 
Redeem my pennon! Charge again! 
Cry, ' Marmion to the rescue! ' — Vain! 
Last of my race, on battle-plain 
That shout shall ne'er be heard again! 

8. "Yet my last thought is England's; fly! 
To Dacre bear my signet ring; 
Tell him his squadrons up to bring. 
Let Stanley charge with spur of fire, 
With Chester charge, and Lancashire, 
Full upon Scotland's central host, — 
Or victory and England's lost! 
Must I bid twice? Hence, varlets! fly! 
Leave Marmion here alone — to die! n 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 235 

The war that for a space did fail, 

Now, trebly thundering, swelled the gale, 

And — Stanley! was the cry; — 
A light on Marinion's visage spread, 
And fired his glazing eye; 
With dying hand, above his head 
He shook the fragment of his blade, 
And shouted "Victory!"— 
' Charge, Chester, charge! On, Stanley, on! " 
Were the last words of Marmion. 



THE SOLDIER TRAMP. 

DON SANTIAGO CARLINO. 

1. "Yer honor, I pleads guilty; I'm a bummer; 

I don't deny the cop here, found me drunk; 
I don't deny that through the whole long summer 

The sun-warmed earth has been my only bunk. 
I hain't been able fur to earn a livin' ; 

A man with one leg planted in the tomb 
Can't get a job — an' I've a strong misgivin' 

'Bout bein' cooped up in a Soldiers' Home. 

2. " ' Whar did I lose my leg? ' at Spottsylvania — 

Perhaps you've read about that bloody fight — 
But then I guess the story won't restrain you 

From doin' what the law sets down as right. 
I'm not a vag from choice, but through misfortune, 

An' as for drink — well, all men have their faults, 
An' judge, I guess I've had my lawful portion 

O' rough experience in prison vaults. 

3. " I served as private in the Tenth New Jersey, 

An' all the boys'll say I done w'at's right — 
Thar' ain't a man can say that Abram Bursey 

War' ever found a-shirkin' in a fight; 
Right in the hell-born frightful roar o' battle, 

Whar' shot and shell shrieked through the darksome 
wood, 
Amid the blindin' smoke and musket's rattle 

You'd always find me doin' the best I could. 



236 EATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

4. " We had a brave ol' feller for a colonel — 

We called him Sweety, but his name was Sweet — 
Why, judge, I swear it by the Great Eternal, 

That brave ol' fellow'd rather fight than eat! 
An' you could alius bet your bottom dollar 

In battle Sweet'd never hunt a tree — 
He'd alius dash into the front an' holler: 

4 Brace up, my gallant boys, an' f oiler me! ' 

5. " Well, just afore the Spotts vlvania battle 

01' Sweety cum to me an' says, says he, 
' I tell you, Abe, 'taint many things'll rattle 

A tough ol' weather-beaten chap like me; 
But in my soul I've got a feelin' 

That I'm a-goin' to get a dose to-day, 
An' 'taint no use for me to be concealin' 

The skittish thoughts that in my bosom play. 

6. " ' Fur many years you've been my neighbor, Bursey, 

An' I've alius found you squar' an' true — 
Back in our little town in old New Jersey 

No one has got a better name than you. 
And now I want your promise, squar'ly given 

That if our cause to-day demands my life, 
An' you yourself are left among the livin' 

You'll take me back an' lay me by my wife.' 

7. " Well, judge, that day, amidst the most infernal 

An' desperate bloody fight I ever seed, 
'Way up in front I saw the daring colonel 

Throw up his hands and tumble off his steed. 
In half a minute I was bendin' o'er him, 

An' seein' that he wasn't killed outright, 
I loaded him upon my back an' bore him 

Some little distance back out o' the fight. 

8. " The blood from out a ghastly wound was flowin,' 

An' so I snatched the shirt from off my back, 
For I could see the brave ol' man war goin' 

To die, unless I held that red tide back. 
An' purty soon I seed he was revivin' 

An' heard him whisper: 'Abe, you've saved my life, 
Yer old wool shirt, along with yer connivin' 

Has kept me from that grave beside my wife.' 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 237 

9. "Well, judge, while I stood thar beside him schemin' 

On how to get him in a doctor's care, 
A ten-pound shell toward us come a screamin 

Just like a ravin' demon in the air, 
An' when it passed I found myself a-lying 

Across ol' Sweety's body, an' I see 
That tarnal shell that by us went a-flyin' 

Had tuck my leg along for company. 

10. " Well, judge, that's all, 'cept when the war was over 

I found myself a cripple, an' since then 
I've been a sort o' shiftless, worthless rover, 

But jest as honest as the most of men. 
I never stole a dime from livin' mortal, 

Nor never harmed a woman, child nor man — 
I've simply been a bum, and hope the court'll 

Be just as easy on me as it can." 

11. Then spake the judge: " Such helpless, worthless creatures 

Should never be allowed to bum and beg; 
Your case, 'tis true, has some redeeming features, 

For in your country's cause you lost a leg. 
And yet I feel the world needs an example 

To check the tendency of men to roam; 
The sentence is that all your life your camp 

Be in the best room in my humble home." 

12. The soldier stared! Dumb! Silent as a statue, 

Then in a voice of trembling pathos, said: 
" Judge, turn your head and give me one look at you — 

That voice is like an echo from the dead." 
Then forward limped he, grimy hand extended; 

While tears adown his sunbrowned cheeks did roll, 
And said, with slang arid pathos strangely blended: 

" Why, Colonel Sweety, bless your brave ol' soul!" 



SMITING THE ROCK. 

The stern old judge, in relentless mood, 
Glanced at the two who before him stood; 
She was bowed and haggard and old, 
He was young and defiant and bold, — 



238 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Mother and son; and to gaze at the pair, 
Their different attitudes, look and air, 
One would believe, ere the truth were known, 
The mother convicted, and not the son. 

2. There was the mother; the boy stood nigh 
With a shameless look, and his head held high. 
Age had come over her, sorrow and care; 
These mattered but little so he was there, 

A prop to her years and a light to her eyes, 
And prized as only a mother can prize; 
But what for him could a mother say, 
Waiting his doom on a sentence-da}-. 

3. Her husband had died in his shame and sin; 
And she a widow her living to win, 

Had toiled and struggled from morn till night, 
Making with want a wearisome fight, 
Bent over her work with resolute zeal, 
Till she felt her old frame totter and reel, 
Her weak limbs tremble, her eyes grow dim; 
But she had her boy, and she toiled for him. 

4. And he, — he stood in the criminal dock, 
With a heart as hard as a flinty rock, 
An impudent glance and a reckless air, 
Braving the scorn of the gazers there; 
Dipped in crime and encompassed round 
With proof of his guilt by captors found, 
Ready to stand, as he phrased it, " game," 
Holding not crime, but penitence, shame. 

5. Poured in a flood o'er the mother's cheek 

The moistening prayers where the tongue was weak, 

And she saw through the mist of those bitter tears 

Only the child in his innocent years; 

She remembered him pure as a child might be, 

The guilt of the present she could not see; 

And for mercy her wistful looks made prayer 

To the stern old judge in his cushioned chair. 

6. "Woman," the old judge crabbedly said— 
"Your boy is the neighborhood's plague and dread; 

Of a gang of reprobates chosen chief: 
An idler and rioter, ruffian and ttiief. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 239 

The jury did right, for the facts were plain; 
Denial is idle, excuses are vain. 
The sentence the court imposes is one " — 
" Your honor," she cried, " he's my only son." 

7. The tipstaves grinned at the words she spoke, 
And a ripple of fun through the court-room broke; 
But over the face of the culprit came 

An angry look and a shadow of shame. 

"Don't laugh at my mother! " loud cries he; 

* You've got me fast, and can deal with me ; 
But she's too good for your coward jeers, 
And I'll — " then his utterance choked with tears. 

8. The judge for a moment bent his head, 
And looked at him keenly, and then he said: 

"We suspend the sentence, — the boy can go; " 
And the words were tremulous, forced and low, 

"But say!" and he raised his finger then — 

" Don't let them bring you hither again. 
There is something good in you yet, I know; 
I'll give you a chance — make the most of it — Go! " 

9. The twain went forth, and the old judge said: 
" I meant to have given him a } r ear instead. 

And perhaps 'tis a difficult thing to tell 
If clemency here be ill or well. 
But a rock was struck in that callous heart, 
From which a fountain of good may start; 
For one on the ocean of crime long tossed, 
"Who loves his mother is not quite lost." 



THE RESCUE OF CHICAGO. 

H. M. LOOK. 

I saw the city's terror, 

I heard the city's cry, 
As a flame leaped out of her bosom 

Up, up to the brazen sky! 



240 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

And wilder rose the tumult, 
And thicker the tidings came — 

Chicago, queen of the cities, 
Is a rolling sea of flame! 

2. Yet higher rose the fury, 

And louder the surges raved, 
(Thousands were saved but to suffer, 

And hundreds never were saved); 
Till out of the awful burning 

A flash of lightning went, 
As across to fair Saint Louis 

The prayer for succor was sent. 

3. God bless thee, true Saint Louis! 

So worthy thy royal name — 
Back, back on the wings of the lightning 

Thy answer of rescue came; 
But, alas! it could not enter 

Through the horrible flame and heat, 
For the fire had conquered the lightning, 

And sat in the thunderer's seat! 

4. God bless thee again, St. Louis! 

For resting never then; 
Thou calledst to all the cities 

By lightning and steam and pen: 
" Ho, ho, ye hundred sisters, 

Stand forth in your bravest might! 
Our sister in flames is falling, 

Her children are dying to-night!" 

5. And through the mighty Republic, 

Thy summons went rolling on, 
Till it rippled the seas of the tropics, 

And ruffled the Oregon; 
The distant Golden City 

Called through her golden gates, 
And quickly rung the answer 

From the City of the Straits; 

6. And the cities that sit in splendor 

Along the Atlantic sea, 
Replying, called to the dwellers 
Where the proud magnolias be. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 241 

From slumber the army started 
At the far-resounding call: 
" Food for a hundred thousand, 
And clothing and tents for all!" 

7. I heard through the next night's darkness 

The trains go thundering by, 
Till they stood where the fated city 

Shone red in the brazen sky. 
The rich gave their abundance, 

The poor their willing hands; 
There was wine from all the vineyards, 

There was corn from all the lands. 

8. At day-break over the prairies 

Re-echoed the gladsome cry — 
" Ho, look unto us, ye thousands, 

Ye shall not hunger nor die! " 
Their weeping was all the answer 

That the famishing throng could give 
To the million voices calling; 

" Look unto us, and live! " 

9. Destruction wasted the city, 

But the burning curse that came 
Enkindled in all the people 

Sweet charity's holy flame. 
Then still to our God be glory! 

I bless him, through my tears, 
That I live in the grandest nation 

That hath stood in all the years. 



BECALMED. 

1. It was as calm as calm could be, 

A death still night in June; 
A silver sail on a silver sea 
Under a silver moon. 

2. Not the least air the still sea stirred, 

But all on the dreaming deep 



?42 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

The white ship lay, like a white sea-bird, 
With folded wings, asleep. 

3. For a long, long month, not a breath of air, 

For a month not a drop of rain; 
And the gaunt crew watched in wild despair, 
With a fever in throat and brain. 

4. And they saw the shore, like a dim cloud stand 

On the far horizon sea; 
It was only a day's short sail to the land 
And the haven where they would be. 

5. Too faint to row — no signal brought 

An answer far or nigh; 
" Father, have mercy, leave us not 
Alone on the deep to die!" 

6. And the gaunt crew prayed on the decks above 

And the women prayed below: 
" One drop of rain, for God's great love! 
O God! for a breeze to blow!" 

7. But never a shower from the skies would burst, 

And never a breeze would come; 
O Heaven! to think that man can thirst 
And starve in sight of home. 

8. But out to sea with the drifting tide, 

The vessel drifted away; 
Till the far-off shore, like the dim cloud, died, 
And the wild crew ceased to pray. 

9. Like fiends they glared, with their eyes aglow, 

Like beasts with hunger wild; 
But a mother knelt in the cabin below, 
By the bed of her little child. 

10. It slept, and lo! in its sleep it smiled, 

A babe of summers three; 

" O Father! save my little child, 

AVhatever comes to me! " 

11. Calm gleamed the sea; calm gleamed the sky, 

No cloud, no sail, in view, 
And they cast them lots for who should die 
To feed the starving crew. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 243 

12. Like beasts they glared with hunger wild, 

And their red, glazed eyes aglow; 
And the death lot fell on the little child 
That slept in the cabin below. 

13. And the mother shrieked in wild despair: 

" O God! my child, my son! 
They will take his life; it is hard to bear; 
Yet, Father, Thy will be done! " 

14. And she waked the child from its happy sleep, 

And she kneeled by the cradle bed: 
" We thirst, my child, on the lonely deep — 
We are dying, my child, for bread. 

15. " On the lone, lone sea, no sail — no breeze — 

Not a drop of rain in the sky; 
We thirst — we starve — on the lonely seas, 
And thou, my child, must die! " 

16. She wept; what tears her wild soul shed 

Not I, but God knows best; 
And the child rose up from its cradle bed, 
And crossed its hands on its breast. 

17. " Father," he lisped, " so good — so kind — 

Have pity on mother's pain ; 
For mother's sake a little wind — 



18. And she heard them shout for the child from the deck, 

And she knelt on the cabin stairs: 
" The child! the child! " they cried, "stand back, 
And a curse on your idiot prayers !" 

19. And the mother rose in her wild despair, 

And she bared her throat to the knife: 
"Strike — strike — me — me; but spare, oh! spare 
My child, my dear son's life! " 

20. O God! It was a ghastly sight ; 

Red eyes like flaring brands, 
And a hundred belt knives flashing bright 
In the clutch of skeleton hands. 

21. " Me — me — strike — strike — ye fiends of death! " 

But soft through the ghastly air 



244 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Whose falling tear was that? Whose breath 
Waves through the mother 's hair? 

22. A nutter of sail— a ripple of seas— 

A speck on the cabin pane; 
O God! it is a breeze — a breeze — 
And a drop of blessed rain! 

23. And the mother rushed to the cabin below, 

And she wept on the babe's bright hair — ■ 
" The sweet rain falls; the sweet winds blow; 
Our Father has heard thy prayer!" 

24. But the child had fallen asleep again; 

Andlo! in its sleep it smiled. 
"Thank God!" she cried, " for His wind and His rain- 
Thank God for my little child! " 



THE CHRISTIAN MAIDEN AND THE LION. 

FRANCIS A. DURIVAGE. 

1. "Give the Christians to the lions!" was the savage Roman's cry, 

And the vestal virgins added their voices shrill and high, 

And the Csesar gave the order, "Loose the lions from their den) 

For Rome must have a spectacle worthy of gods and men." 

2. Forth to the broad arena a little band was led, 

But words forbear to utter how the sinless blood was shed. 
No sigh the victims proffered, but now and then a prayer 
From lips of age and lips of youth rose upward on the air; 
And the savage Caesar muttered, " By Hercules! I swear, 
Braver than gladiators these dogs of Christians are." 

3. Then a lictor bending slavishly, saluting with his axe, 
Said, " Mighty Imperator! the sport one feature lacks: 
We have an Afric lion, savage, and great of limb, 
Fasting since yestereven; is the Grecian maid for him?" 

4. The Emperor assented. With a frantic roar and bound, 
The monster, bursting from his den, gazed terribty around, 
And toward him moved a maiden, slowly, but yet serene; 

"By Venus! " cried the Emperor, " she walketh like a queen! M 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 245 

5. Unconscious of the myriad eyes she crossed the blood-soaked 

sand, 
Till face to face the maid and beast in opposition stand; 
The daughter of Athene, in white arrayed, and fair, 
Gazed on the monster's lowered brow, and breathed a silent 

prayer, 
Then forth she drew a crucifix and held it high in air. 

6. Lo, and behold! a miracle! the lion's fury fled, 

And at the Christian maiden's feet he laid his lordly head, 
While as she fearlessly caressed, he slowly rose, and then, 
With one soft, backward look at her, retreated to his den. 
One shout rose from the multitude, tossed like a stormy sea: 
" The gods have so decreed it; let the Grecian maid go free! " 

7. Within the catacombs that night a saint with snowy hair 
Folded upon his aged breast his daughter young and fair; 
And the gathered brethren lift a chant of praise and prayer; 
From the monster of the desert, from the heathen fierce and wild, 
God has restored to love and life his sinless, trusting child. 



SPEECH IN VINDICATION, 

ROBERT EMMET. 



1. My Lords: What have I to say, why sentence of death should 
not be pronounced on me, according to law ? I have nothing to say that 
can alter your predetermination, or that it would become me to say, with 
any view to the mitigation of that sentence which you are here to pro- 
nounce, and which I must abide. But I have much to say which interests 
me more than that life which you have labored to destroy. I have much 
to say, why my reputation should be rescued from the load of false 
accusation and calumny which has been heaped upon it. 

2. Were I only to suffer death, after being adjudged guilty by 
your tribunal, I should bow in silence and meet the fate that awaits me, 
without a murmur. But the sentence of the law which delivers my body 
to the executioner, will, through the ministry of that law, labor in its own 
vindication to consign my character to obloquy, for there must be guilt 
somewhere; whether in the sentence of the court or in the catastrophe, 
posterity must determine. 



246 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

3. When my spirit shall be wafted to a more friendly port; 
when my shade shall have joined the bands of those martyred heroes 
who have shed their blood on the scaffold and in the field, in defense of 
their country and virtue, — this is my hope : I wish that my memory and 
name may animate those who survive me, while I look down with com- 
placency on the destruction of that perfidious government which up- 
holds its domination by blasphemy of the Most High. 

4. My lord, shall a dying man be denied the legal privilege of ex- 
culpating himself, in the eyes of the community, from an undeserved re- 
proach thrown upon him during his trial, by charging him with am- 
bition, and attempting to cast away, for a paltry consideration, the liber- 
ties of his country? Why, then, insult me? or, rather, why irsult 
justice, in demanding of me why sentence of death should not be 
pronounced ? 

5. I am charged with being an emissary of France ! An emissary 
of France ! And for what end ? It is alleged that I wished to sell the 
independence of my country ! And for what end ? Was this the ob- 
ject of my ambition ? and is this the mode by which a tribunal of 
justice reconciles contradictions ? No, I am no emissary; and my am- 
bition was to hold a place among the deliverers of my country; not in 
power, nor in profit, but in the glory of the achievement ! 

6. Sell my country's independence to France ! And for what ? 
Was it for a change of masters ? No, but for ambition ! O my country, 
was it personal ambition that could influence me ! Had it been the 
soul of my actions, could I not by my education and fortune, by the rank 
and consideration of my family, have placed myself among the proudest 
of my oppressors ? My country was my idol; to it I sacrificed every 
selfish, every endearing sentiment; and for it I now offer up my life. 

7. No, my lord; I acted as an Irishman, determined on delivering 
my country from the yoke of a foreign and unrelenting tyranny; and 
from the more galling yoke of a domestic faction, which is its joint 
partner and perpetrator in the parricide, whose reward is the ignominy 
of existing with an exterior of splendor and a consciousness of depravity. 
It was the wish of my heart to extricate my country from this doubly- 
riveted despotism; I wished to place her independence beyond the reach 
of any power on earth; I wished to exalt her to that proud station in the 
world. 

8. Let no man dare, when I am dead, to charge me with dishonor; 
let no man attaint my memory by believing that I could have engaged in 
any cause but that of my country's liberty and independence; or that I 
could have become the pliant minion of power in the oppression or the 
miseries of my countrymen. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 247 

9. I would not have submitted to a foreign oppressor, for the same 
reason that I would resist the domestic tyrant; in the dignity of free- 
dom, I would have fought upon the threshold of my country, and her 
enemy should enter only by passing over my lifeless corpse. Am I, who 
lived but for my country, and who have subjected myself to the ven- 
geance of the jealous and watchful oppressor, and now the bondage of 
the grave, only to give my countrymen their rights — am I to be loaded 
with calumny, and not to be suffered to resent or repel it ? No ; God 
forbid ! 

10. If the spirits of the illustrious dead participate in the concerns 
and cares of those who are dear to them in this transitory life, O ever 
dear and venerated shade of my departed father ! look down with scru- 
tiny on the conduct of your suffering son, and see if I have even for a 
moment deviated from those principles of morality and patriotism 
which it was your care to instill into my youthful mind, and for an ad- 
herence to which I am now to offer up my life ! 

11. My lords, you are impatient for the sacrifice. The blood 
which you seek is not congealed by the artificial terrors which surround 
your victim; it circulates warmly and unruffled through the channels 
which God created for noble purposes, but which you are bent to destroy 
for purposes so grievous that they cry to Heaven ! Be j^et patient ! I 
have but a few words more to say. I am going to my silent grave; my 
lamp of life is nearly extinguished; my race is run; the grave opens to 
receive me, and I sink into its bosom. 

12. I have but one request to ask, at my departure from this world; 
— it is the charity of its silence. Let no man write my epitaph; for, as 
no one who knows my motives dares now vindicate them, let not prej- 
udice or ignorance asperse them. Let them and me repose in obscurity 
and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed until other times, and other 
men, can do justice to my character. When my country shall take her 
place among the nations of the earth, — then and not till then, — let my 
epitaph be written! 



THE LAST CHARGE OF NEY. 

J. T. HEADLEY. 

1. The whole continental struggle exhibited no sublimer spectacle 
than this last effort of Napoleon to save his sinking empire. Europe had 
been put upon the plains of Waterloo to be battled for. The greatest 
military energy and skill the world possessed had been tasked to the 



248 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

utmost during the day. Thrones were tottering on the ensanguined field, 
and the shadows of fugitive kings flitted through the smoke of battle. 

2. Bonaparte's star trembled in the zenith,— now blazing out in its 
ancient splendor, now suddenly paling before his anxious eye. At 
length, when the Prussians appeared on the field, he resolved to stake 
Europe on one bold throw. He committed himself and France to Ney, 
and saw his empire rest on a single chance. Ney felt the pressure of the 
immense responsibility on his brave heart, and resolved not to prove un- 
worthy of the great trust. Nothing could be more imposing than the 
movement of that grand column to the assault. That Guard had never 
yet recoiled before a human foe; and the allied forces beheld with awe 
its firm and terrible advance to the final charge. 

3. For a moment the batteries stopped playing, and the firing 
ceased along the British lines, as, without the beating of a drum, or the 
blast of a bugle, to cheer their steady courage, they moved in dead 
silence over the plain. The next moment the artillery opened, and the 
head of that gallant column seemed to sink into the earth. Rank after 
rank went down; yet they neither stopped nor faltered. Dissolving 
squadrons, and whole battalions disappearing one after another in the 
destructive fire, affected not their steady courage. The ranks closed up 
as before, and each, treading over his fallen comrade, pressed firmly on. 

4. The horse which Ney rode fell under him, and he had scarcely 
mounted another before it also sank to the earth. Again and again did 
that unflinching man feel his steed sink down, till five had been shot 
under him. Then, with his uniform riddled with bullets, and his face 
singed and blackened with powder, he marched on foot, with drawn sabre, 
at the head of his men. In vain did the artillery hurl its storm of fire 
and lead into that living mass. Up to the very muzzles they pressed, 
and, driving the artillerymen from their own pieces, pushed on through 
the English lines. 

5. But at that moment a file of soldiers who had lain flat on the 
ground, behind a low ridge of earth, suddenly rose, and poured a volley 
in their very faces. Another and another followed, till one broad sheet 
of flame rolled on their bosoms, and in such a fierce and unexpected flow 
that human courage could not withstand it. They reeled, shook, stag- 
gered back, then turned and fled. 

6. Ney was borne back in the refluent tide, and hurried over the 
field. But for the crowd of fugitives that forced him on, he would have 
stood alone, and fallen in his footsteps. As it was, disdaining to fly, 
though the whole army was flying, he formed his men into two immense 
squares, and endea.ored to stem the terrific current, and would have done 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 249 

so had it not been for the thirty thousand fresh Prussians that pressed on 
his exhausted ranks. 

7. For a long time these squares stood and let the artillery plough 
through them. But the fate of Napoleon was writ; and though Ney 
doubtless did what no other man in the army could have done, the decree 
could not be reversed. The star that had blazed so brightly over the 
world went down in blood, and the " bravest of the brave had fought" 
his last battle. It was worthy of his great name; and the charge of the 
Old Guard at Waterloo, with him at their head, will be pointed to by 
remotest generations with a shudder. 



ON THE CONCORD ROAD. 

WILL CARLETON. 



Little Golden-hair was watching, in the window broad and high, 
For the coming of her father, who had gone the foe to fight: 

He had left her in the morning, and had told her not to cry, 
But to have a kiss all ready when he came to her at night. 

She had wondered all the day, 
In her simple, childish way, 
And had asked, as time went on, 
Where her father could have gone. 

She had heard the muskets firing, she had counted every one, 
Till the number grew so many that it was too great a load; 

Then the evening fell upon her, clear of sound of shot or gun, 
And she gazed with wistful waiting down the dusty Concord road 

Little Golden-hair had listened, not a single week before, 
While the heavy sand was falling on her mother's coffin-lid; 

And she loved her father better for the loss that then she bore, 
And thought of him, and yearned for him, whatever else she did. 

So she wondered all the day 
What could make her father stay, 
And she cried a little too, 
As he told her not to do. 

And the sun sank slowly downward and went grandly out of sight, 
And she had the kiss all readv on his lips to be bestowed; 



250 EATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

But the shadows made one shadow, and the twilight grew to night, 
And she looked, and looked, and listened, down the dusty Concord 
road. 

Then the night grew light and lighter, and the moon rose full and round, 
In the little sad face peering, looking piteously and mild; 

Still upon the walks of gravel there was heard no welcome sound, 
And no father came there, eager for the kisses of his child. 

Long and sadly did she wait, 
Listening at the cottage gate; 
Then she felt a quick alarm, 
Lest he might have come to harm. 

With no bonnet but her tresses, no companion but her fears, 

And no guide except the moonbeams that the pathway dimly showed, 

With a little sob of sorrow, quick she threw away her tears, 
And alone she bravely started down the dusty Concord road. 

And for many a mile she struggled, full of weariness and pain, 
Calling loudly for her father, that her voice he might not miss; 

Till at last, among a number of the wounded and the slain, 
Was the white face of the soldier, waiting for his daughter's kiss. 

Softly to his lips she crept, 
Not to wake him as he slept; 
Then, with her young heart at rest, 
Laid her head upon his breast; 

And upon the dead face smiling, with the living one near by, 

All the night a golden streamlet of the moonbeams gently flowed; 

One to live a lonely orphan, one beneath the sod to lie, — 
They found them in the morning on the dusty Concord road. 
[Copyright by Harper & Brothers.] 



THE DEACON'S STORY. 

N. S. EMERSON. 

The solemn old bells in the steeple 
Are ringin.' I guess you know why! 

No? Well, then, I'll tell you, though mostly 
It's whispered about on the sly. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 251 

Some six weeks ago, a church rneetin' 

Was called — for — nobody knew what; 
But we went, and the parson was present, 

And I don't know who, or who not. 

2. Some twenty odd members, I calc'late, 

Which mostly was women, of course; 
Though I don't mean to say aught ag'in' em, 

I've seen many gatherin's worse. 
There, in the front row, sat the deacons, 

The eldest was old Deacon Pryor; 
A man countin' four-score-and-seven, 

And gin'rally full of his ire. 

3. Beside him, his wife, countin' four-score, 

A kind-hearted, motherly soul; 
And next to her, young Deacon Hartley, 

A good Christian man on the whole. 
Miss Parsons, a spinster of fifty, 

And long ago laid on the shelf 
Had wedged herself next; and, beside her, 

Was Deacon Munroe — that's myself. 

4. The meetin' was soon called to order, 

The parson looked glum as a text; 
We gazed at each other in silence, 

And silently wondered "What next? " 
Then slowly uprose Deacon Hartley; 

His voice seemed to tremble with fear, 
As he said: " Boy and man you have known me, 

My good friends, for nigh forty year. 

5. " And you scarce may expect a confession 

Of error from me, but — you know, 
My dearly loved wife died last Christmas, 

It's now nearly ten months ago. 
The winter went by long and lonely, 

The spring hurried forward apace; 
The farm-work came on, and I needed 

A woman about the old place. 

6. "The children were wilder than rabbits, 

And still growing worse every day; 
Ho help to be found in the village, 



252 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Although I was willing to pay. 
In fact, I was nigh 'bout discouraged 

For everything looked so forlorn; 
When good little Patience McAlpin 

Skipped into our kitchen one morn. 

7. " She had only run in of an errand; 

But she laughed at our miserable plight. 
And set to work, just like a woman, 

A putting the whole place to right. 
And though her own folks was so busy, 

And illy her helpin' could spare, 
She flit in and out like a sparrow, 

And most every day she was there. 

8. "So the summer went by sort of cheerful, 

And one night my baby, my Joe, 
Seemed feverish and fretful, and woke me, 

By crying, at midnight, you know. 
I was tired with my day's work, and sleepy, 

And couldn't, no way, keep him still, 
So, at last, I grew angry, and spanked him, 

And then he screamed out with a will. 

9. "Just then I heard a soft rapping 

Away at the half open door; 
And then little Patience McAlpin 

Walked shyly across the white floor. 
Says she: ' I thought Josey was cryin', 

I guess I'd best take him away: 
I knew you'd be getting up early, 

To go to the marshes for hay; 
So I stayed here to night to get breakfast; 

I guess he'll be quiet with me. 

10. " ' Come, Josey, kiss papa, and tell him 
What a nice little man you will be!' 

She was stooping low over the pillow, 
And saw the big tears on his cheek: 

Her face was so close to my whiskers, 
I darsn't move, scarcely, or speak; 

Her hands were both holdin' the baby, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 253 

Her eye by his shoulder was hid; 
But her mouth. was so near and so rosy, 
I — kissed her. That's just what I did." 

11. Then down sat the tremblin' sinner, 

The sisters they murmured of "shame," 
And " she shouldn't oughter a let him, 

No doubt she was mostly to blame." 
When straightway uprose Deacon Pryor, 

" Now bretherin and sisters," he said; 
(We knowed then that suthin' was comin', 

And all sot as still as the dead), 
"You've heard Brother Hartley's confession, 

And I speak for myself when I say 
That if my wife was dead, and my children 

Were all growin' worse every day; 
And if my house needed attention, 

And Patience McAlpin had come, 
And tidied the cluttered up kitchen, 

And made the place seem more like home; 
And if I was worn out and sleepy, 

And my baby wouldn't lie still, 
But fretted and woke me at midnight, 

As babies, we know, sometimes will; 
And if Patience came in to hush him, 

And 'twas all as our good brother sez — 
I think, friends — I think I should kiss her, 

And 'bide by the consequences." 

12. Then down sat the elderly deacon, 

The younger one lifted his face, 
And a smile rippled over the meetin' 

Like light in a shadowy place. 
Perhaps, then, the matronly sisters 

Remembered their far-away youth, 
Or the daughters at home by their firesides, 

Shrined each in her shy, modest truth; 
For their judgments grew gentle and kindly, 

And — well — as I started to say 
The solemn old bells in the steeple 

Are ringing a bridal to-day. 



254 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

THE LITTLE BLACK-EYED REBEL, 

WILL CARLETON. 

1. A boy drove into the city, his wagon loaded down 

With food to feed the people of the British-governed town ; 
And the little black-eyed rebel, so cunning and so sly, 
Was watching for his coming from the corner of her eye. 

2. His face was broad and honest, his hands were brown and tough, 
The clothes he wore upon him were homespun, coarse and rough ; 
But one there was who watched him, who long time lingered nigh, 
And cast at him sweet glances from the corner of her eye. 

3. He drove up to the market, he waited in a line ; 
His apples and potatoes were fresh and fair and fine. 
But long and long he waited, and no one came to buy, 

Save the black-eyed rebel, watching from the corner of her eye. 

4. " Now, who will buy my apples ? " he shouted, long and loud ; 

And, " Who wants my potatoes ? " he repeated to the crowd. 
But from all the people round him came no word of reply, 
Save the black-eyed rebel, answering from the corner of her eye. 

5. For she knew that 'neath the lining of the coat he wore that day 
Were long letters from the husbands and the fathers far away, 
Who were fighting for the freedom that they meant to gain, or die ; 
And a tear like silver glistened in the corner of her eye. 

6. " But the treasures — how to get them ? " crept the question through 

her mind, 
Since keen enemies were watching for what prizes they might find; 
And she paused awhile and pondered, with a pretty little sigh, 
Then resolve crept through her features, and a shrewdness fired 

her eye. 

7. So she resolutely walked up to the wagon, old and red ; 

" May I have a dozen apples for a kiss ? " she sweetly said ; 
And the brown face flushed to scarlet, for the boy was somewhat 

shy, 
And he saw her laughing at him from the corner of her eye. 

8. " You may have them all for nothing, and more, if you want," quoth 

he. 
" I will have them, my good fellow, but can pay for them," said she. 
And she clambered on the wagon, minding not who all were by, 
With a laugh of reckless romping in the corner of her eye. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 255 

9. Clingiug round his brawny neck f she clasped her fingers white and 

small, 
And then whispered, " Quick ! the letters ! thrust them underneath 

my shawl ! 
Carry back again this package, and be sure that you are spry !" 
And she sweetly smiled upon him from the corner of her eye. 

10. Loud the motley crowd were laughing at the strange, ungirlish 

freak ; 
And the boy was scared and panting, and so dashed he could not 

speak, 
And " Miss, I have good apples," a bolder lad did cry ; 
But she answered, "No, I thank you," from the corner of her eye. 

11. With the news of loved ones absent to the dear friends they would 

greet, 
Searching for them who hungered for them, swift she glided 

through the street. 
" There is nothing worth the doing that it does not pay to try," 
Thought the little black-eyed rebel, with a twinkle in her eye. 

[Copyright by Harper & Brothers.] 



MY EXPERIENCE AT THE DENTIST'S, 

Not a sigh I heard, not a single groan, 

As on to the dentist's I hurried — 
Not a tooth in my head which long would be there, 

And I felt considerably flurried. 

I hastened along — 'twas late at night — 

The alleys and corners turning ; 
When his shingle I saw by the moon's misty light, 

And the gas-lamps dimly burning. 

No useless official held my head, 
Nor with cord or 'kerchief bound me ; 

But I sat like a martyr about to be racked, 
With the engines of torture around me. 

Few and short were the prayers I said, 
And I spoke not a word of sorrow ; 



256 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

But I bitterly thought of the teeth in my head 
Which wouldn't be there on the morrow. 

I wondered how I, with n^ toothless gums, 

Should ever again eat my forage ; 
And while others would dine on roast beef and lamb 

How I must content me with porridge. 

Oh ! madly I'll rave when my teeth are all gone, 
And for their destruction upbraid him ; 

But nothing he '11 reck, but let me talk on, 
Especially after I 've paid him. 

As the horrid job was nearly done, 

And I with pain near expiring, 
I concluded, if I wished to have even one, 

That I'd better be up and retiring. 

Sadly I glanced in the glass at my mouth 
And my gums all mangled and gory — 

I said not a' word as I gave him the fee, 
But left him alone in his glory. 



THE GHOST THAT JIM SAW. 

" Why, as to that," said the engineer, 
*' Ghosts ain't things we are apt to fear, 
Spirits don't fool with levers much, 
And throttle valves don't take to such ; 
And as for Jim — 
What happened to him 
Was one half fact and t'other half whim ! 

" Running one nigbt on the line, he saw 
A house — as plain as the moral law — 
Just by the moonlit bank, and thence 
Came a drunken man with no more sense 

Than to drop on the rail, 

Flat as a flail, 
As Jim drove by with the midnight mail. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 

" Down went the patents. Steam reversed. 
Too late ! for there came a ' thud ' Jim cursed, 
As his fireman, there in the cab with him 
Kinder stared in the face of Jim, 

And says, ' What now ? ' 

Says Jim, ' What now ! 
I 've just run over a man — that 's how ! ' 

" The fireman stared at Jim. They ran 
Back, but they never saw house nor man, — 
Nary a shadow within a mile ; 
Jim turned pale, but he tried to smile — 

Then on he tore 

Ten miles or more 
In quicker time than he 'd made afore. 

" Would you believe it ? — the very next night 
Up rose that house in the moonlight white ; 
Out comes the chap and drops as before. 
Down goes the brakes and the rest encore — 

And so, in fact, 

Each night that act 
Occurred, till folks swore Jim was cracked. 

" Humph ! Let me see ; it 's a year now, most, 

That I met Jim, East, and says, ' How 's your ghosts ? ' 
' Gone,' says Jim ; ' and more, it's plain 
That ghost don't trouble me again ; 
I thought I shook 
That ghost when I took 
A place on an Eastern line — but look : 

" ' What should I meet the first trip out, 
But that very house that we talked about, 
And that self -same man ! ' Well,' says I, ' I guess 
It 's time to stop this yer foolishness.' 

So I crammed on steam, 

When there came a scream 
From my fireman — and it broke my dream — 

" * You 've killed somebody ! ' Says I, ' not much ; 
I've been thar often and thar ain't no such ; 
And now I '11 prove it.' Back we ran, 



258 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

And — darn my skin ! — but thar was a man 
On the rail, dead, 
Smashed in the head — 
' Now I call that meanness ! ' That 's all Jim said." 

— Brtt II arte. 



IMPEACHMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS. 

EDMUND BURKE. 

Lord Macauley says of this famous speech: "The energy and 
pathos of the great orator extorted expressions of unwonted ad- 
miration from all; and, for a moment, seemed to pierce even the resolute 
heart of the defendant. The ladies in the galleries, unaccustomed to 
such displays of eloquence, excited by the solemnity of the occasion, 
and perhaps not unwilling to display their taste and sensibility, were in 
a state of uncontrollable emotion. Handkerchiefs were pulled out; 
smelling-bottles were handed round; hysterical sobs and screams were 
heard, and some were even carried out in fits. At length the orator con- 
cluded. Raising his voice, till the old arches of Irish oak resounded, he 
said: 

1. My Lords, you have now heard the principles on which Mr. 
Hastings governs the part of Asia subjected to the British Empire. 
Here he has declared his opinion, that he is a despotic prince; that he is 
to use arbitrary power; and, of course, all his acts are covered with that 
shield. " I know," says he, " the Constitution of Asia only from its 
practice." Will your Lordships submit to hear the corrupt practices of 
mankind made the principles of Government? 

2. He have arbitrary power! My Lords, the East India Company 
have not arbitrary power to give him; the King has no arbitrary power 
to give him; your Lordships have not; nor the Commons; nor the whole 
Legislature. We have no arbitrary power to give, because arbitrary 
power is a thing which neither any man can hold nor any man can 
give. No man can lawfully govern himself according to his own 
will, much less can one person be governed -by the will of another. 
We are all born in subjection, all born equally, high and low, governors 
and governed, in subjection to one great, immutable, pre-existent law, 
prior to all our devices, and prior to all our contrivances, paramount to all 
our ideas, and all our sensations, antecedent to our very existence, by 
which we are knit and connected in the eternal frame of the universe, 
out of which we cannot stir. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. . 259 

3. This great law does not arise from our conventions or com- 
pacts; on the contrary, it gives to our conventions and compacts all the 
force and sanction they can have; — it does not arise from our vain 
institutions. Every good gift is of God; all power is of God; — and He, 
who has given the power, and from whom alone it originates, will 
never suffer the exercise of it to be practiced upon any less solid founda- 
tion than the power itself. If then ail dominion of man over man is the 
effect of the divine disposition, it is bound by the eternal laws of Him, 
that gave it, with which no human authority can dispense; neither he 
that exercises it, nor even those who are subject to it: and if they were 
mad enough to make an express compact that should release their 
magistrate from his duty, and should declare their lives, liberties, and 
properties dependent upon, not rules and laws, but his mere capricious 
will, that covenant would be void. 

4. This arbitrary power is not to be had by conquest. Nor can 
any sovereign have it by succession; for no man can succeed to fraud, 
rapine and violence. Those who give and those who receive arbitrary 
power are alike criminal; and there is no man but is bound to resist it 
to the best of his power, wherever it shall show its face to the world. 

5. My Lords, I do not mean to go further than just to remind your 
Lordships of this, — that Mr. Hastings' government was one whole system 
of oppression, of robbery of individuals, of spoliation of the public, and 
of supersession of the whole system of the English Government, in order 
to vest in the worst of the natives all the power that could possibly 
exist in any government; in order to defeat the ends which all govern- 
ments ought, in common, to have in view. In the name of the Commons 
of England, I charge all this villainy upon Warren Hastings, in this last 
moment of my application to you. 

6. My Lords,.what is it that we want here to a great act of national 
justice? Do we want a cause, my Lords? You have the cause of op- 
pressed princes, of undone women of the first rank, of desolated provinces, 
and of wasted kingdoms. 

7. Do you want a criminal, my Lords? When was there so much 
iniquity ever laid to the charge of any one? No, my Lords, you must 
not look to punish any other such delinquent from India. Warren Hast- 
ings has not left substance enough in India to nourish such another 
delinquent. 

8. My Lords, is it a prosecutor you want? You have before you 
the Commons of Great Britain as prosecutors; and I believe, my Lords, 
that the sun, in his beneficent progress round the world, does not behold 
a more glorious sight than that of men, separated from a remote people 
by the material bounds and barriers of nature, united by the bond of a 



260 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

social and moral community; — all the Commons of England resenting, 
as their own, the indignities and cruelties that are offered to all the 
people of India. 

9. Do we want a tribunal? My Lords, no example of antiquity, 
nothing in the modern world, nothing in the range of human imagina- 
tion, can supply us with a tribunal like this. We commit safely the 
interests of India and humanity into your hands. Therefore, it is with 
confidence that, ordered by the Commons, 

10. " I impeach Warren Hastings, Esquire, of high crimes and mis- 
demeanors* 

" I impeach him in the name of the Commons of Great Britain in 
Parliament assembled, whose parliamentary trust he has abused. 

" I impeach him in the name of the Commons of Great Britain, 
whose national character he has dishonored. 

" I impeach him in the name of the people of India whose laws, 
rights and liberties he has subverted. 

" I impeach him in the name of the people of India, whose property 
he has destroyed, whose country he has laid waste and desolate. 

"I impeach him in the name of human nature itself, which he has 
cruelly outraged, injured, and oppressed, in both sexes. And I impeach 
him in the name and by the virtue of those eternal laws of justice, which 
ought equally to pervade every age, condition, rank,, and situation, in the 
world." 



DEACON STOKES. 

THOMAS QUILP. 

There once lived one Asa Stokes, 

One of those men whom everything provokes, 

A surly-tempered, evil-minded, bearish, 

Ill-natured kind of being; 

He was the deacon of the parish, 

And had the overseeing 

Of some small matters, such as the ringing 

Of the church-bell, and took the lead in singing, 

Well, Deacon Stokes had gone to bed one night, 
About eleven or before, 

'Twas in December, if my memory's right, in '24. 
'Twas cold enough to make a Russian shiver; 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 261 

I think I never knew one 

Colder than this — in faith, it was a blue one! 

As by the almanac foretold, 'twas 

A real Lapland night. O dear! how cold ' twas! 

There was a chap about there named Ezekiel, 

A clever good-for-nothing fellow, 

Who very often used to get quite mellow; 

Of whom the Deacon alwaj's used to speak ill; 

For he was fond of cracking jokes 

On Deacon Stokes, to show on 

What terms he stood among the women folks, and so on. 

It came to pass that on the night I speak of, 

Ezekiel left the tavern bar-room, where 

He spent the evening, for the sake of 

Drowning his care, by partaking 

Of the merry-making and enjoyment 

Of some good fellows there, whose sole employment 

Was, all kinds of weather, on every night, 

By early candlelight, to get together 

Reading the papers, smoking pipes and chewing, 

Telling long yarns, and pouring down the ruin. 

Pretty well corned, and up to anything, 

Drunk as a lord, and happy as a king, 

Blue as a razor, from his midnight revel, 

Nor fearing muskets, women, or the devil; 

With a light heart — much lighter than a feather — 

With a light soul that spurned the freezing weather, 

And with a head ten times as light as either; 

And a purse, perhaps, as light as all together, 

On went Ezekiel, with a great expansion 

Of thought, until he brought 

Up at a post before the Deacon's mansion. 

With one arm around the post, awhile he stood 

In thoughtful mood with one eye turned 

Up toward the window where, with feeble glare, 

A candle burned; 

Then with a serious face, and a grave mysterious 

Shake of the head, Ezekiel said — 

(His right eye once more thrown upon the beacon 

That from the window shone), "I'll start the Deacon! *' 



262 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

7. Rap, rap, rap, rap, went Deacon Stoke's knocker. 
But no one stirred; rap, rap, it went again; 

" By George, it must be after ten, or 
They must take an early hour for turning in," 
Rap, rap, rap — " My conscience, how they keep 
A fellow waiting — patience, how they sleep! " 

8. The Deacon then began to be alarmed, 
And in amazement threw up the casement, 
And with cap on head, of fiery red, 
Demanded what the cause was of the riot, 
That thus disturbed his quiet. 

9. 4< Quite cool this evening, Deacon Stokes," replied 

The voice below. " Well, sir, what is the matter? " 
" Quite chilly, Deacon; how your teeth do chatter! " 
" You vagabond, a pretty time you have chosen 

To show your wit; for I am almost frozen; 

Be off, or I will put the lash on! " 
" Why bless you, Deacon, don't be in a passion!" 

'Twas all in vain to speak again, 

For with the Deacon's threat about the lash, 

Down went the sash. 

10. Rap, rap, rap, rap, the knocker went again, 
And neither of them was a very light rap; 
Thump, thump, against the door went Ezekiel's cane, 
And that once more brought Deacon Stokes' night-cap. 

11. " Very cold weather, Deacon Stokes, to-night! " 
" Begone, you vile, insolent dog, or I'll 

Give you a warming that shall serve you right; 
You villain, it is time to end the hoax! " 
" Why bless your soul and body, Deacon Stokes, 
Don't be so cross when I've come here, in this severe 
Night, which is cold enough to kill a horse, 
For your advice upon a very difficult and nice 
Question. Now, bless you, do make haste and dress you." 

12. " Well, well, out with it, if it must be so; 

Be quick about it; I'm very cold." 
" Well, Deacon, I don't doubt it, 
In a few words the matter can be told. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 263 

Deacon, the case is this: I want to know 
If this cold weather lasts all summer here— 
What time will green peas come along next year? ? 



A MAN'S A MAN FOR A' THAT. 

[CHAS. MACKAY'S VERSION.] 

" A man's a man," says Eobert Burns, 

" For a' that and a' that; " 
But though the song be clear and strong 

It lacks a note for a' that. 
The lout who'd shirk his daily work, 

Yet claim his wage and a' that, 
Or beg, when he might earn his bread, 

Is not a man for a' that. 

If all who dine on homely fare 

"Were true and brave, and a' that, 
And none whose garb is "hodden gray " 

Was fool or knave, and a' that, 
The vice and crime that shame our time 

Would fade and fail and a' that, 
And plowmen be as good as kings, 

And churls as earls for a' that. 

You see yon brawny, blustering sot, 

Who swaggers, swears, and a' that, 
And thinks, because his strong right arm 

Might fell an ox and a' that, 
That he's as noble, man for man, 

As duke or lord, and a' that; 
He's but a brute, beyond dispute, 

And not a man for a' that. 

A man may own a large estate, 
Have palace, park, and a' that 

And not for birth, but honest worth, 
Be thrice a man for a' that; 

And Donald herding on the muir, 



264 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Who beats his wife and a' that, 
Be nothing but a rascal boor, 
Nor half a man for a' that. 

5. It comes to this, dear Robert Burns — 

The truth is old, and a' that — 
" The rank is but the guinea's stamp, 

The man's the gold for a' that." 
And though you'd put the minted mark 

On copper, brass, and a' that, 
The lie is gross, the cheat is plain, 

And will not pass for a' that. 

6. For a' that, and a' that, 

'Tis soul and heart and a' that, 
That makes the king a gentleman, 

And not his crown and a' that, 
And man with man, if rich or poor, 

The best is he, for a' that, 
Who stands erect in self-respect, 

And acts the man for a' that. 



LEADVILLE JIM." 

W. W. FINK. 



1. He came to town one winter day, 

He had walked from Leadville all the way; 

He went to work in a lumber yard, 

And wrote a letter that ran: " Dear Pard, 

Stick to the claim whatever you do, 

And remember that Jim will see you through." 

For, to quote his partner, " they owned a lead 

Mit der shplendidest brospects, und notings to ead." 

2. When Sunday came he brushed his coat, 
And tied a handkerchief round his throat, 
Though his feet in hob-nailed shoes were shod 
He ventured to enter the house of God. 
When, sharply scanning bis ill-clad feet, 

The usher gave him the rearmost seat. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 265 

3. By chance the loveliest girl in town 
Came late to the house of God that day. 
And, scorning to make a vain display 

Of her brand new, beautiful Sunday gown, 

Beside the threadbare man sat down. 

"When the organ pealed she turned to Jim 

And kindly offered her book to him, 

Held half herself, and showed him the place, 

And then with genuine Christian grace, 

She sang soprano, and he sang bass, 

While up in the choir the basso growled, 

The tenor, soprano and alto howled, 

And the banker's son looked back and scowled. 

4. The preacher closed his sermon grand 
With an invitation to " join the band." 
Then quietly from his seat uprose 

The miner, dressed in his threadbare clothes, 
And over the carpeted floor walked down 
The aisle of the richest church in town. 
In spite of the general shudder and frown, 
He joined the church and went his w r ay; 
But he did not know he had walked that day 
O'er the sensitive corns of pride, rough-shod; 
For the miner was thinking just then of God. 

5. A little lonely it seemed to him 

In the rearmost pew when Sunday came; 
One deacon had dubbed him "Leadville Jim," 
But the rest had forgotten quite his name 
And yet 'twas never more strange than true, 
God sat with the man in the rearmost pew, 
Strengthened his arm in the lumber-yard, 
And away in the mountains helped his " Pard." 

6. But after awhile a letter came 

Which ran: "Dear Yim — I haf sell our claim, 
Und I send you a jeck for half der same. 
A million, I dought, was a pooty good brice, 
Und my heart said to sell, so I took its advice — 
You know what I mean if you lofe a fraulein; 
Good-by. I am going to marry Katrine." 



RATIONAL KLOCUTIC 

T. The hob-nailed shoes and rusty coat 

me rippling ont of the public throat. 
~_r miner was now no longer u Jim," 
But the I 1 Brothered "an ■ ■ ; ; isl red ■ him: 

Fook their buggies and showed him round. 
And, more than the fact of his wealth, they found 
Through the papers which told the wondrous tale 
That the fellow had led his Ale. 

8. Ah! the maidens admired his splendid shape, 
Which the tailor had matched with careful tape; 
But he married the loveliest girl in town, 
7 h e one who one - hie u le sat down, 

rii up in the choir the basso growled, 
The tenor, soprano, and alto howled, 
AzA -it ::i£-: e =:r. '.: : i- '. :i:_ in:~ s : : — 1- 1. 

— ST. T. Independent. 



A GIRL OF THE PERIOLX 

1 : A -_- -s= -: -irrerlv u~e: 

Sir : :-il in": -:.: z'.-iiz. ":resi .v_i : :.::-r. 
t nibble she'd take 

A: i ~ Li-rr : 
Or the wing of a quail for her supper: 
Roast beef and plum pudding she'd sneer at, 
A boiled leg of mutton she'd jeer at, 

3n: '.'-- .:_.'. :: s. ::: . 

A:__- _ T . ; _ t:.-- ; . 
Or some delicate bit that came near that. 

& The conse : uence was, she grew paler 
AndmoiT ~ lahy-waahy, and frailer, 

A:-: Ae-e : :: Le: iir.::e: 
Grew thinner and thinner, 

til: : 

li 7 : z . ..■-.'._-. — '.-..._ j . 
Put an envelope on her, 
And stamped it upon her, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTION . 267 

You could go to the office and mail her? 

Her voice was so low and so thrilling, 

Its cadence was perfectly killing: 
And she talked with a lisp and a stutter, 
For she Avas so utterly utter! 

3. Oh, she was so very aesthetic! 

Her face was quite long and pathetic; 

The ends of her hair 

Floated loose oh the air, 
And her eyes had a sadness prophetic; 
The bangs she wore down on her forehead 
^Yere straight and deliciously horrid; 

And a sad-colored gown 

Going straight up and down 
She Avore when the weather was torrid. 

4. It was terribly hard to enthuse her, 
But a bit of old china would fuse her; 
And she'd glow like a coal or a candle, 
At the mention of Bach or of Handel. 
At pinks, and sweet-williams and roses, 
She'd make the mcst retrousse noses. 

But would swoon with delight 

At a sunflower bright, 
And use it in making her poses. 
She moved with the sleepiest motion, 
As if not quite used to the notion; 

And her manner was chill 

As a waterfowl's bill 
When he's fresh from a dip in the ocean! 
It was quite the reverse of magnetic, 
But oh, it was very aesthetic! 

5. And if, with your old-fashioned notions, 
You could wish that more cheerful emotion 

More sunshine and grace, 

Should appear in her face, 
More gladness should speak in her motions — 
If you heard with a homesick dejection 
The changes in voice and inflection, 

And sighed for smooth tresses 



268 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

And the plain, simple dresses 
That used to command your affection, — 
Oh, hide your rash thoughts in your bosom! 
Or if you must speak out and use 'em, 
Then under your breath you must mutter; 
For she is too utterly utter! 



DER SHTUBBORN MOOL. 

1. Hans Bleimer shtood auf dot burning shkip 

Mit two hands on his mool; 
Der mool he shumped — Hans cracked his vip, 
Und called dot beasht a fool. 

2. Of course, dot mool he vould not go, 

He vas schared so by dot fire. 
So Hans he hits dot mool a blow 
Dot raised his heels oop higher. 

3. Und shtill dot shtubborn mool shtood by 

Mit two feets out before; 
His eye vas vild, his tall vas high; 
Vhile round der flames did roar. 

4. Den Hans, he t'inks dot game's played out, — 

He'd try some Oder plan 
To drive dot swveet mool off dot shkip, 
Und bring him safe by land. 

5. T'inks Hans, if once I twist his tail 

So, tight like sausage band, 
Dod mool will quvick shump in der sea, 
Und safely shwvim by land. 

6. De man in der moon shmiled to der east, 

De stars midt fun vinked oudt, 
De fishes filed dtheir teeth for a feast, 
Und Hans now vent his plans about. 

7. Den Hans he takes kwvick off his coats, — 

His face vas schared und pale; 
Und midt six hundred vicked oaths 
He reached dot strong mool's tail. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 269 

8. Den Mr. Mool vas so oxprized 

Midt Bleimer in his rear, 
Dot anger shows all oudt his eves, 
Und fight vas in his ear. 

9. Six Shumpes ? six Kicks ! Oh, awful doom ! 

Hans Bleimer ! vhere vas he ? 
Go shpeak by der man vot turns de moon, 
De fishes by de sea ! 

10. Veil, anyhow, poor Hans had shveet revenge; 
So tight he held above vot hit him, 
Dot vhen Hans left dis vicked world, 
De besht bardt of dot tail vent midt him. 



"LYNCH" FOR " LYNCH!" 

ARTHUR MATTHTSON. 

1. I heard a wild story once, out in the West, 

Of a trial where law was derided; 
Where the jury were just the first men round about, 
And " Lynch " was the Judge that presided. 

2. The court was a rood of green turf, hot and dry, 

For the fierce summer sun parch'd the valley; 
Near the river a tree stood for gallows, if need, 
For " Lynch Law " out there, didn't dally ! 

3. A big desperado, part Spaniard, part " Yank," 

Was charged with a swift, cruel murder; 
The betroth'd of the Mexican youth he had kill'd 
Denounc'd him ! — believ'd all who heard her ! 

4. For murder was there, redly writ on his face, 

Yet he laughed (half in scorn, half in f ury), 
For the Judge was his mate, and what was to fear, 
With ten of his friends on the jury ! 

5. A lithe, lovely creature, that young Creole girl, 

Who, with fast, fiery words did arraign him; 
All her love for her "Juan " transformed into hate 
For this " half-breed " who, ambushed, had slain him. 



270 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

6. She told how this Spaniard had offer'd her love; 

How, with terror and scorn, she had fled him; 
How happy her days with her Juan, her own ! 
How that soon she had promis'd to wed him ! 

7. And she told shuddering cold, how " this coward " had crept 

On her love, and — ere hand could restrain him — 
How life he had taken, and " life he must yield ! " 
How the blood of her lover did stain him ! 

8. And her eyes they blaz'd up with a dangerous blaze, 

As she told judge and jury her story; 
His tawny cheek flushing, he, cursing, denied, 
Though his knife, with the crime, was yet gory I 

9. Then the jury consulted — she watched every face, 

Look'd at him like a lynx before leaping; 
Her wild eyes flashed fire, she grinds her white teeth, 
Her hand to her girdle is creeping. 

10. " The jury consulted ! " All knew well enough 

The verdict had long been decided; 
" Not guilty," they said— false verdict — false court ! 
False to " Lynch" was the judge that presided ! 

11. For a moment her face droop'd between her brown hands, 

Then a shiver of passion ran through her, 
And she rose to her full height, a wonderful strength 
Seem'd to come — whence who knoweth ? — unto her I 

12. She cried—-' That's the verdict ! Not guilty ! you say ? " 

Her eyes with her soul's light were glist'ning; 
Every tone of her voice broke full and distinct 
On the clear summer air that seemed list'ning. 

13. "I saw the blow struck at my love by this cur ! 

Too late saw the sharp blade descending; 
'Twas a quick, savage blow, unwarded, undreamt, 
His life from my love sudden rending ! 

14. " And is this all that you and your justice can do 

To the thief who has stolen my treasure, 
Who has robb'd me of life, for he's robb'd me of love — 
Is this, of your law, the full measure ? " 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 271 

15. "Not guilty's the verdict the jurymen give," 

Said the judge, " It's the law, I endorse it ! 
And the sentence now is, that the pris'ner goes free ! 
It's the law ; and I guess none can cross it ! " 

16. With fire ever glowing, her eyes deeply burn'd, 

Her hand to her girdle stole nearer; 
And as the judge utter'd his hard, cruel words, 
Her duty unto her seem'd clearer. 

17. She clutches at something that girdle within — 

" There's my law ! she cries. " There's my trying ! " 
A trigger's pull'd ! a flash ! a report ! 
See ! his life-blood the meadow is dyeing. 

18. The bullet went home, tore his foul heart in twain, 

Amaz'd sat the judge on the bench there; 
The verdict revers'd, true justice was done; 
Judge and jury — that brave, loving heart there ! x 

19. And still with the same dangerous blaze in her eye — 

The six barrell'd shooter yet holding — 
She pass'd through the crowd, and no man oppos'd — 
Judge and jury, all silent, beholding. 



OUR AIN COUNTRIE. 

ELLA GUERNSEY. 



On an afternoon in December little Walter Graham lay pillowed in 
mamma's lap, his life ebbing fast away. The malignant croup, that dread 
disease that cuts short so many little ones and is the terror of all loving 
mothers, held "Wallie fast and tightened its cruel fingers upon Wallie's 
throat until mamma almost prayed death to claim her darling, that he 
might be freed from pain. 

Only a short time since the little feet, encased in his first boots, had 
made noisy but sweet music to mamma's ear, the firm, red cheeks glowed 
with health, but in a few hours the summons had come for Wallie, the 
pride and hope of the Graham household. 

After a terrible effort to breathe easier he gasped, " Sing, please, 

mamma." 



212 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Now mamma knew just what her boy wanted to hear, as no old 
Christian Scot loved the hymn " My Ain Countrie " more than her boy, 
but how could the sore-stricken mother sing when she wanted to weep? 
She began in a queer, shaky voice: 

" I'm far f rae my hame an' I'm weary aftenwhiles, 
For the lang'd for hame bringing, an' my father's welcome smiles, 
I'll n'er be fu' content — " 

Here a sob smothered the melody, for she knew Wallie was not far 
" frae his ain countrie." Papa took up the words: 

" I've his gude word of promise that some gladsome day the King 
To His ain royal palace his banished hame will bring — " 

But he, too, broke down, and Aunt Esther softly sang: 

" His bluid hath made me white an' His hand shall dry my een 
When He brings me hame at last to my ain countrie." 

Wallie's breathing was now easier, his head dropped lower, his 
pulse fluttered feebly; he tried to smile even in his pain. 

Then the aged minister, who had known mamma in her girl days, 
sang in his high, tremulous voice: 

" Like a bairn to its mither, a wee birdie to its nest, 
I wad fain noo be gangin' unto my Savior's breast, 
For He gathers in His bosom even witless lambs like me, 
An' He carries them Himself to His ain countrie." 

Wallie's head sank lower; he lay still, so very still, and then we 
knew he had gone to his ain countrie. 



THE MISER'S DEATH. 

OSBOHNE. 



In France, during the year 1762, a miser by the name of Foscue, 
having amassed enormous wealth by extortion and parsimony, was 
requested by the government to advance a sum of money as a loan. The 
miser refused, pretending that he was poor. In order to hide his money, 
he dug a deep cellar under his hut, the descent to which was by a ladder. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 273 

To the trap-door above he attached a spring lock. He entered one day 
to gloat over his gold; the trap-door fell, the spring-lock snapped, and he 
died miserably. 

1. So, so! all safe! Come forth my pretty sparklers! 
;Come forth, and feast my eyes! Be not afraid! 

No keen-eyed agent of the government 

Can see you here. They wanted me, forsooth, 

To lend you, at the lawful rate of usance, 

For the State's needs. Ha! ha! my shining pets, 

My yellow darlings, my sweet golden circlets! 

Too well I loved you to do that; and so 

I pleaded poverty, and none could prove 

My story was not true. 

2. Ha! could they see 
These bags of ducats, and that precious pile 
Of ingots, and those bars of solid gold, 

Their eyes, methinks, would water. What a comfort- 
Is it to see my money in a heap 
All safely lodged under my very roof! 
Here's a fat bag — let me untie the mouth of it. 
What eloquence! What beauty! What expression! 
Could Cicero so plead? Could Helen look 
One-half so charming? {TJie trap-door falls.) 

3. Ah! what sound was that? 
The trap-door fallen? and the spring-lock caught? 
Well, have I not the key? Of course I have! 

'Tis in this pocket. No. In this? No. Then 

I left it at the bottom of the ladder. 

Ha! 'tis not there. Where, then? Ah! mercy, Heaven! 

'Tis in the lock outside! What's to be done? 

4. Help! help! Will no one hear? Oh, would that I 
Had not discharged old Simon! but he begged 
Each week for wages — would not give me credit. 
I'll try my strength upon the door. Despair! 

I might as soon uproot the eternal rocks 
As force it open. Am I here a prisoner, 
And no one in the house — no one at hand, 



274 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Or likely soon to be, to hear my cries? 
Am I entombed alive? Horrible fate! 
I sink — I faint beneath the bare conception! (Swoons.) 

5. (Awakes.) Darkness! Where am I? I remember now: 

This is a bag of ducats — 'tis no dream — 

No dream! The trap-door fell, and here am I, 

Immured with my dear gold — my candle out — 

All gloom— all silence — all despair! What, ho! 

Friends! Friends? I have no friends. What right have I 

To use the name? These money bags have been 

The only friends I've cared for, and for these 

I've toiled, and pinched, and screwed, shutting my heart 

To charity, humanity, and love! 

6. Detested traitors! since I gave you all — 
Ay, gave my very soul — can ye do naught 

For me in this extremity? Ho! without there! 

A thousand ducats for a loaf of bread! 

Ten thousand ducats for a glass of water! 

A pile of ingots for a helping hand! 

Was that a laugh? Ay, 'twas a fiend that laughed 

To see a miser in the grip of death! 

7. Offended Heaven, have mercy! I will give 
In alms all this vile rubbish; aid me thou 

In this most dreadful strait! I'll build a church — ■ 
A hospital! Vain, vain! Too late, too late ! 
Heaven knows the miser's heart too well to trust him! 
Heaven will not hear — why should it? What have I 
Done to enlist Heaven's favor? to help on 
Heaven's cause on earth, in human hearts and homes? 
Nothing! God's kingdom will not come the sooner 
For any work or any prayer of mine. 

8. But must I die here — in my own trap caught? 
Die — die? and then! Oh, mercy! grant me time — 
Thou who canst save — grant me a little time, 
And I'll redeem the past — undo the evil 

That I have done — make thousands happy with 
This hoarded treasure — do thy will on earth 
As it is done in heaven — grant me but time! 
Nor man nor God will hear my shrieks! All's lost! 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 275 

HATE OF THE BOWL. 

ANONYMOUS. 

1. Go, feel what I have felt, 

Go, bear what I have borne ; 
Sink 'neath the blow a father dealt, 

And the cold, proud world's scorn ; 
Thus struggle on from year to year, 
Thy sole relief the tear. 

2. Go, weep as I have wept 

O'er a loved father's fall, 
See every cherished promise swept, 

Youth's sweetness turned to gall ; 
Hope's faded flowers strewn all the way 
That led me up to woman's day. 

3. Go, kneel as I have knelt, 

Implore, beseech and pray, 
Strive the besotted heart to melt, 

The downward course to stay : 
Be cast, with bitter tears, aside, 
Thy prayers burlesqued, thy tears defied. 

4. Go, stand where I have stood, 

And see the strong man bow, 
With gnashing teeth, lips bathed in blood, 

And cold the livid brow ; 
Go, catch his wandering glance, and see 
There mirror'd, his soul's misery. 

5. Go, hear what I have heard, 

The sobs of sad despair, 
As memory's feeling font hath stirr'd, 

And its revealing there, 
Have told him what he might have been 
Had he the drunkard's fate foreseen. 

6. Go, to thy mother's side, 

And her crushed spirit cheer, 
Thine own deep anguish hide, 

Wipe from her cheek the tear : 
Mark her dimm'd eye, her furrow'd brow, 
The gray that streaks her dark hair now, 



176 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Her toil-worn frame, her trembling limb, 
And trace the ruin back to him 
Whose plighted faith in early youth 
Promised eternal love aDd truth ; 

7. But who, foresworn, hath yielded up 
This promise to the deadly cup, 
And led down from love and light, 
From all that made her pathway bright, 
And chained her there, 'mid want and strife, 
That lowly thing, a Drunkard's Wife ! 
And stamp'd on childhood's brow so mild, 
That withering blight, a Drunkard's Child ! 

8. Go, hear, and see, and feel, and know 

All that my soul hath felt and known ; 
Then look upon the wine cup's glow, 

See if its brightness can atone. 
Think if its flavor you will try, 
If all proclaimed — " 'Tis drink and die ! " 

9. Tell me I hate the bowl ? 

Hate is a feeble word — 
I loathe, abhor — my very soul 

With strong disgust is stirr'd 
Whene'er I see, or hear, or tell 
Of that dark beverage of hell. 



THE HARVEST OF RUM, 

PAUL DENTON. 



1. Streaming down the ages, blighting the rosebuds, shriveling the 
grasses, scorching the heart and blistering the soul, has come a lurid 
tongue of flame which, heated by the madness of hell, has hissed out the 
terrors of death and dropped over the earth a sea of unutterable woe. 
In the darkness of midnight it has gathered intensity of brightness, and 
glared about the hearthstones, wet with the weeping of wives, mothers 
and children, and bronzed the beauty of earth with the horrid cast of 
hell. Twisting around the altar of the church, it has wreathed the 
sweetest flowers that ever attempted to bloom for the adornment of 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 27V 

heaven, and has fed death from the very waters of life ; at the very door 
of heaven itself it has glowed with appalling madness and been almost 
an impassable wall of flame between misery and bliss. 

2. Dripping burning drops of agony into the tenderest depths of 
writhing souls, they have wailed and wept and hissed unutterable 
despair, and pleaded with God to blot them from existence forever. 
This blighting, glowing, burning, damning curse of the world is the 
demon Intemperance. Language has never been made that can depict 
it in all its hideousness. Look on that stack of skeletons that rears its 
ghastly form — an insult to God — high in the clouds, and shapes the 
whistling winds into an utterance of withering denunciation of the fiery 
monster that gnawed and scalded and burned and tore the mangled, 
bleeding flesh from those bones and tossed them into that revolting pile ! 

3. Come, ye writhing, pleading, suffering souls that were robbed of 
heaven by this sparkling tempter, and cast the black shadow of your 
wretchedness upon the faces of the living ! Oh, graves, give up your 
bloated, festering millions, and stretch them, in all their rum-scorched 
ghastliness, over the plains and mountain-tops ! Come forth, ye torn, 
haggard and bleeding souls, from the time of Noah until to-night, ! Hold 
up your bony, withered skeleton hands, ye Countless millions of starved 
and starving women and children. 

4. Come, all the floods of agonizing tears that scorched as the lurid 
fires of hell where'er they touched, and boil, and blubber, and foam, and 
hiss in one vast steaming, seething ocean ! Come, death, and hell, and 
agony, with your harvest, garnered from the still and the brewery, and 
let us mass them in one black, horrifying portraiture of the damned. 
And let it tell to the shuddering, trembling souls what language never 
can. 



THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE. 

JOHN B. GOUGH. 

Our cause is a progressive one. I have read the first constitution 
of the first temperance society formed in the State of New York in 1809, 
and one of the by-laws stated : "Any member of this association who 
shall be convicted of intoxication shall be fined a quarter of a dollar, 
except such act of intoxication shall take place on the fourth of July, or 
any other regularly appointed military muster." We laugh at that now ; 



278 EATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

but it was a serious matter in those days ; it was in advance of the public 
sentiment of the age. The very men who adopted that principle were 
persecuted ; they were hooted and pelted through the streets, the doors 
of their houses were blackened, their cattle mutilated. 

The fire of persecution scorched some men so that they left the 
work. Others worked on, and God blessed them. Some are living 
to-day ; and I should like to stand where they stand now, and see the 
mighty enterprise as it rises before them. They worked hard. They 
lifted the first turf — prepared the bed in which to lay the corner-stone. 
They laid it amid persecution and storm. They worked under the 
surface, and men almost forgot that there were busy hands laying the 
solid foundations far down beneath. 

By and by they got the foundation above the surface, and then began 
another storm of persecution. Now we see the superstructure — pillar 
after pillar, tower after tower, column after column, with the capitals 
emblazoned with "Love, truth, sympathy, and good-will to men." Old 
men gaze upon it as it grows up before them. They will not live to see 
it completed ; but they see in faith the crowning copestone set upon it. 
Meek-eyed women weep as it grows in beauty ; children strew the path- 
way of the workmen with flowers. 

We do not see its beauty yet — we do not see the magnificence of its 
superstructure yet — because it is in course of erection. Scaffolding, 
ropes, ladders, workmen ascending and descending, mar the beauty of 
the building ; but by and by, when the hosts who have labored shall 
come up over a thousand battlefields waving with bright grain never 
again to be crushed in the distillery — through vineyards, under trellised 
vines, with grapes hanging in all their purple glory, never again to be 
pressed into that which can debase and degrade mankind — when they 
shall come through orchards, under trees hanging thick with golden 
pulpy fruit, never to be turned into that which can injure and debase — 
when they shall come up to the last distillery and destroy it ; to the last 
stream of liquid death, and dry it up ; to the last weeping wife, and wipe 
her tears gently away ; to the last child, and lift him up to stand where 
God meant that child and man should stand ; to the last drunkard, and 
nerve him to burst the burning fetters and make a glorious accompani- 
ment to the song of freedom by the clanking of his broken chains — 
then, ah ! then will the copestone be set upon it, the scaffolding will fall 
with a crash, and the building will stand in its wondrous beauty before 
an astonished world. Loud shouts of rejoicing shall then be heard, and 
there will be joy in heaven, when the triumphs of a great enterprise 
usher in the day of the triumphs of the cross of Christ. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 279 

SCENE FROM LADY OF THE LAKE. 

SIR WALTER SCOTT. 

Dark lightning flashed from Roderick's eye — 
" Soars thy presumption, then, so high, 
Because a wretched kern ye slew, 
Homage to name to Roderick Dhu? 
He yields not, he, to man nor Fate! 
Thou add'st but fuel to my hate. — 
My clansman's blood demands revenge! — 
Not yet prepared? — By Heaven, I change 
My thought, and hold thy valor light, 
As that of some vain carpet knight, 
Who ill-deserved my courteous care, 
And whose best boast is but to wear 
A braid of his fair lady's hair!" 

" I thank thee, Roderick, for the word! 
It nerves my heart, it steels my sword; 
For I have sworn this braid to stain 
In the best blood that warms thy vein. 
Now, truce, farewell! and ruth, begone! — 
Yet think not that by thee alone, 
Proud chief! can courtesy be shown. 
Though not from copse, or heath, or cairn, 
Start at my whistle clansmen stern, 
Of this small horn one feeble blast 
Would fearful odds against thee cast; 
But fear not — doubt not — which thou wilt, 
We try this quarrel, hilt to hilt." 

Then each at once, his falchion drew, 
Each on the ground his scabbard threw, 
Each looked to sun, and stream, and plain, 
As what they ne'er might see again; 
Then, foot, and point, and eye opposed, 
In dubious strife they darkly closed. 
Ill fared it then with Roderick Dhu, 
That on the field his targe he threw, 
Whose brazen studs and tough bull-hide 
Had death so often dashed aside; 
For, trained abroad his arms to wield, 



280 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Fitz-James's blade was sword and shield: 
He practiced every pass and ward, 
To thrust, to strike, to feint, to guard, 
While less expert, though stronger far, 
The Gael maintained unequal war. 
Three times in closing strife they stood, 
And thrice the Saxon sword drank blood. 

Fierce Roderick felt the fatal drain, 
And showered his blows like wint'ry rain, 
And, as firm rock, or castle roof, 
Against the winter shower is proof, 
The foe, invulnerable still, 
Foiled his wild rage by steady skill; 
Till, at advantage ta'en, his brand 
Forced Roderick's weapon from his hand, 
And, backward borne upon the lea, 
Brought the proud chieftain to his knee. 

" Now yield thee, or, by Him who made 
The world, thy heart's blood dyes my blade ! " 

" Thy threats, thy mercy, I defy! 
Let recreant yield who fears to die." 
Like adder darting from his coil, 
Like wolf that dashes through the toil, 
Like mountain-cat who guards her young, 
Full at Fitz-James's throat he sprung, 
Received, but recked not of a wound, 
And locked his arms his foeman round. 

Now, gallant Saxon, hold thine own ! 
No maiden's hand is round thee thrown! 
That desperate grasp thy frame might feel 
Through bars of brass and triple steel! 
They tug, they strain; — down, down they go, 
The Gael above, Fitz- James below. 
The chieftain's gripe his throat compressed, 
His knee was planted on his breast; 
His clotted locks he backward threw, 
Across his brow his hand he drew, 
From blood and mist to clear his sight, 
Then gleamed aloft his dagger bright! 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 281 

But hate and fury ill supplied 
The stream of life's exhausted tide, 
And all too late the advantage came, 
To turn the odds of deadly game; 
For, while the dagger gleamed on high, 
Reeled soul and sense, reeled brain and eye; 
Down came the blow! but in the heath 
The erring blade found bloodless sheath. 
Unwounded from the dreadful close, 
But breathless all, Fitz-James arose. 



THE PAWNBROKER'S SHOP. 

RICHARD E. WHITE. 

In my walks through the city I frequently stop 

To examine the wares in the pawnbroker's shop, 

For each article here has a story to tell 

Unto all who interpret its voicelessness well. 

These were emblems of friendship and truth long ago, 

But their presence here sorrow and misery show, 

For they tell of estrangements and fond ones grown cold — 

Once the pledges of love, now the pledges of gold. 

Let us enter awhile; lady fair, do not fear; 

The great ones of earth in their time have been here; 

Here have come youth and maid, and the old and the gray; 

Here the peer and the pauper have elbowed their way; 

The exchequers of kings from such shops have been drawn, 

And the jewels of queens have been given in pawn. 

Then enter, and if for a while you will stop, 

I will tell of the wares of the pawnbroker's shop. 

Here's a little gold cross; 'twas a tremulous hand 
Placed it round her boy's neck ere he left the old land. 
Though that good mother prayed 'twould a talisman be 
To the youth in his new home beyond the great sea. 
Though he clung to it fondly for many a year, 
For a dollar or two he at last sold it here; 
Yet the treasures of earth were the veriest dross 
When compared to the value he placed on this cross. 



282 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

4. Here's a locket of hair, once a bright sunny curl, 
It was shorn from her locks by a beautiful girl, 
And she gave it to him whom as life she held dear, 
While he whispered a tale of fond love in her ear; 
Her life's blood that girl would have given to prove 
The strength, and devotion, and depth of her love. 

Was love true to the last, till the warm heart grew cold, 
Or like this, its dear gift, was it bartered for gold? 

5. Here's a gold wedding-ring; many years must have gone 
Since two knelt in the church, and with this were made one. 
O, who would not envy the bride in that hour, 

With everything earth could bestow for a dower! 
As the groom on her fair finger placed this gold ring, 
Ah, little he thought time such changes could bring 
As that here she should come, youth and beauty all fled, 
And her wedding-ring pawn to get money for bread. 

6. But enough I have sung, and though sad be my lay, 
Yet a much sadder theme you may find any day, 
When poverty made them these love-tokens sell; 
What matter if honor were not sold as well ! 

If you go through the town you will daily behold 
Both manhood and maidenhood bartered for gold, 
And these, till time's ending, forever will stop 
Unredeemed, if once brought to the pawnbroker's shop. 



A PLEA FOR IRELAND. 

PHILLIPS. 



1. Come and see this unhappy people — see the Irishman, the only 
alien in Ireland, in rags and wretchedness, staining the sweetest scenery 
ever eye reposed on, persecuted by the extorting middleman of some 
absentee landlord, plundered by the law-proctor of some rapacious and 
unsympathizing incumbent, bearing through life but insults and injus- 
tice, and bereaved even of any hope in death by the heart-rending reflec- 
tion that he leaves his children to bear, like their father, an abominable 
bondage. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 283 

2. Is it the fact? Let any one who doubts it walk out into your 
streets, and see the consequences of such a system; see it rearing up 
crowds in a kind of apprenticeship to the prison, absolutely permitted 
by their parents, from utter despair, to lisp the alphabet and learn the 
rudiments of profligacy. For my part, never did I meet one of these 
youthful assemblages, without feeling within me a melancholy emotion. 

3. How often have I thought, within that little circle of neglected 
triflers who seem to have been born in caprice and bred in orphanage, 
there may exist some mind formed of the finest mold, and wrought for 
immortality; a soul swelling with the energies, and stamped with the 
patent of the Deity, which, under proper culture, might perhaps bless, 
adorn, immortalize, or ennoble empires; some Cincinnatus, in whose 
breast the destinies of a nation may lie dormant; some Milton, "preg- 
nant with celestial fire; some Curran, who, when thrones were crumbled 
and dynasties forgotten, might stand the landmark of his country's gen- 
ius, rearing himself amid regal ruins and national dissolution, a mental 
pyramid in the solitude of time, beneath whose shade things might 
molder, and round whose summit eternity must play. Even in such a 
circle, the young Demosthenes might have once been found; and Homer, 
the disgrace and glory of his age, have sung neglected. 

4. Have not other nations witnessed those things, and who shall say 
that nature has peculiarly degraded the intellect of Ireland? Oh, my 
countrymen, let us hope that under better auspices and sounder policies, 
the ignorance that thinks so, may meet its refutation. Let us turn 
from the blight and ruin of this wintry day to the fond anticipation of 
a happier period, when our prostrate land shall stand erect among the 
nations, fearless and unfettered; her brow blooming with the wreath of 
science, and her path strewed with the offerings of art; the breath of 
heaven blessing her flag, the extremities of earth acknowledging her 
name, her fields waving with the fruits of agriculture, her ports alive 
with the contributions of commerce, and her temples vocal with unre- 
stricted piety. 

5. Such is the ambition of the true patriot; such are the views, for 
which we are calumniated! Oh, divine ambition! Oh, delightful cal- 
umny! Happy he who shall see thee accomplished! Happy he who 
through ever} r peril, toils for thy attainment! Proceed, friend of Ireland 
and partaker of her wrongs, proceed undaunted to this glorious consum- 
mation. 

6. Fortune will not gild, power will not ennoble thee; but thou 
shalt be rich in the love, and titled by the blessings of thy country; thy 
path shall be illumined by the public eye; thy labors enlightened by the 



284 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

public gratitude; and oh, remember — amid the impediments, with which 
corruption will oppose, and the dejection, with which disappointments 
may depress you — remember you are acquiring a name to be cherished 
by the future generations of earth, long after it has been enrolled among 
the inheritors of heaven. 



KIT CARSON'S WIFE. 



1. On winter eve, when cabins are bright 

With the crimson flash of the log-fire's light, 
And the soft snow sleeps on the prairie's breast, 
They gather — the frontier scouts of the West — 
And, speaking sometimes with bated breath 
Of wars of the border, and deeds of death, 
They crown their stories of reckless strife 
With the famous ride of Kit Carson's wife. 

1. For into a Sioux village one day, 
From Dixon, a hundred miles away, 
A horseman reached the chieftain's tent, 
Dismounted, staggered and gasped: " I'm sent 
With sorrowful news from the pale-face town. 
Kit Carson, the scout, is stricken down, 
And before he bids farewell to life 
He would see the face of his Indian wife." 

3. She heard that story— the chieftain's child— 
Her bronze face whitened, her glance grew wild; 
She grasped her deer-skin cloak and felt 

The pistols were safe in her wampum belt; 

She uttered only a smothered moan, 

And the scout and the chieftain stood alone. 

4. Her pony snorted; she grasped his mane, 

And the fleetest mustang that pressed the plain, 

Turning away from the sunset light, 

Sped like an arrow into the night, 

And the flanks threw backward a glistening foam, 

As she headed her horse to her husband's home. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 285 

5. Oh, sing not to me of Lochinvar, 
Or of reckless rides in glorious war 
But, oh! if ever, perchance, you hear 
Of Sheridan, Graves or Paul Revere — 
Of all that galloped to deathless life, 
Just speak the name of Kit Carson's wife. 

6. The stars leaped out in the boundless sky, 

And the girl looked up as the moon flashed by — 
The terrified moon, in a terrible race, 
Keeping time to her pony's pace! 
She heard the hoot of the lonely owl, 
And afar, from the forest, a dismal howl 
Louder and louder, piercing the air, 
Till her throbbing heart moaned a pitiful prayer, 
For, grasping her pistol and looking back, 
The Indian girl saw wolves on her track. 

7. The foremost fell with a shot in his heart, 
And his comrades tearing him part from part, 
While the horse flashed faster over the plain, 
With the girl's dark face in his tangled mane, 
Over the trackless prairies, away 
Galloping into the new-born day. 

8. The first faint rays of the day-break dim, 
Showed her upon the horizon's rim 

An armed band of her people's foes, 

Riding as fast as the north wind blows, 

With the flash of the sun on the leader's plume, 

A signal that sealed the maiden's doom. 

9. But the daring blood of a noble race, 
Like flames in a gloomy forest place, 
Flushed redly into her Indian face, 

And she caught the tomahawk at her side, 
A toy in the blood of berries dyed — 
Swung it aloft, and, with panting breath 
Galloped full in the front of death. 

^0. Over each mustang every foe 

Swerved like lightning, bending low; 
Thro' the band, that parted to right and left, 



286 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

A clear wide path the maiden cleft, 

And an instant more she had passed them by, 

And was riding alone into the eastern sky. 

11. The terrified braves looked back on her there, 
While the sunlight's glory over her hair 
Shone like a halo, wonderful, grand! 

Had she fled from the far-off spirit-land? 
Had she brought them blessings, or a blight? 
They shuddered and broke into sudden flight. 

12. Into the streets of a cabin town — 
Into the village riding down, 

With fevered brain, and with glazing eyes, 
And breath that fluttered with gasping sighs, 
Still she urged on the faltering steed, 
That had served her well in her hour of need. 
And the pony leaped as it felt the rein, 
Galloped, staggered, and reeled again, 
And j ust as it reached Kit Carson's door, 
With work well done, and with anguish o'er, 
Fell to the earth and stirred no more ! 

1 3. An hour later the great scout died, 
His faithful Indian wife at his side. 
She only lingered a little while, 

And followed him then with a happy smile. 
Together they sleep in the self-same grave, 
Where wildly the winds of winter rave, 
And in summer the prairie flowers wave! 



COMPENSATION, 



You think I 'm nervous, stranger ? Well, I am ! 
If 'twa'n't for making silly people talk, 
I 'd rather get right off this pokish train and walk 

From here to where I'm going — Amsterdam. 

That 's where I live, you see. As for Lacrosse — 
(Excuse me, neighbor, I must talk or bust) — 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 287 

Since I've been there it's three years certain, just ; 
And now to laugh or cry is just a toss. 

3. " Married ! " Why, yes, that 's where it is, you see : 

I 've telegraphed her I was strong and well, 
And coming to her ; but I didn't tell 
That I was rich. I thought I 'd let that be. 

4. It 's too good luck, that is, to last, you know, 

And, strange, if it wasn't kind of rash, 
I 'd bet my bottom dollar that we smash 
Before — but pshaw ! excuse me, I '11 go slow. 

5. You see, when we were married, Sue and I, 

* I was a good mechanic, and not poor 
Until I struck it, as I reckoned, sure, 
In an invention I was working sly. 

0. All I could make went into that concern ; 
And people called me crazy for it, too, 
And said I 'd better stick to what I knew ; 
But folks will talk, and have to live and learn. 

7. In all this world I had but one friend then, 

But she stood by me nobly, through and through, 
And said 'twould come out right at last, she knew — 
One woman staunch is worth a dozen men ! 

8. 'Twas tough sometimes, though, when a loaf of bread 

Stood on the table — all the meal we had — 
I should have gone, alone, quite to the bad ; 
But, through it all, my Susan kept her head. 

9. r Twas her advice that sent me off at last — 

She said she 'd work her fingers to the bone, 
And live for twenty mortal years alone, 
Rather than give it up — thank God, that's past ! 

10. A hundred thousand and a royalty 

Is what I 've got for going far away ; 
She cheered me hy her letters every day. 
A million could not pay such loyalty. 

11. She knows I'm coming ; but she doesn't know 

That I am rich ; and she will be there, too, 



288 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Dressed in he: best — her best, my poor, dear Sue ! 
I '11 bet a hundred 'twill be calico ! 

12. "I'll dress her now !" You bet it ! — but go slow, 

This luck 's a heap too good to last, I fear ; 
I shan't believe it till I 'in fairly there : 
The train may smash up, easy, yet, you know. 

13. The only reason if it don't, will be 

That I 'm so strongly thinking that it will. 
I 'm nervous, say you ? Just a little, still 
The luck is none too good for Sue, you see. 

14. Hello ! we're here — there 's Sue, by all that 's grand ! 

Stranger, excuse me, sir, but would you mind 
To go ahead and tell her I 'in behind ? 
I 'm choking ; see my eyes — you understand ? 



THE BOYS. 

ETHEL LYNN. 



1. " The boys are coming home to-morrow ! " 

Thus our rural hostess said ; 
Whilst Lou and I shot flitting glances, 
Full of vague, unspoken dread. 

2. Had we hither come for quiet, 

Hither fled the city's noise, 
But to change it for the tumult 
Of those horrid country boys ? 

3. Waking one with wild hallooing 

Early every summer day ; 
Shooting robins, tossing kittens, 
Frightening the wrens away ; 

4. Stumbling over trailing flounces, 

Thumbing volumes gold and blue ; 
Clamoring for sugared dainties, 
Tracking earth the passage through. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 289 

5. These and other kindred trials 
Fancied we with woeful sigh ; 
" Those boys, those horrid boys, to-morrow 2 " 
Sadly whispered Lou and I. 
****** 
8. I wrote those lines one happy summer ; 
To-day I smile to read them o'er, 
Remembering how full of terror 
We watched all day the opening door. 

7. They came — " the boys ! " Six feet in stature, 

Graceful, easy, polished men ; 
I vowed to Lou, behind my knitting, 
To trust no mother's words again. 

8. For boyhood is a thing immortal 

To every mother's heart and eye ; 
And sons are boys to her forever, 
Change as they may, to you and I. 

9. To her, no line comes sharply marking 

Whither or when their childhood went ; 
Nor when the eyeglass, upward turning, 
Levelled at last their downward bent. 

10. Now, by the window, still and sunny, 

Warmed by the rich October glow, 
The dear old lady waits and watches, 
Just as she waited years ago. 

11. For Lou and I are now her daughters — 

We married "those two country boys," 
In spite of all our sad forebodings 
About their awkward ways and noise. 

12. Lou springs up to meet a footfall, 

I list no more for coming feet : 
Mother and I are waiting longer 
For steps on Beulah's golden street. 

13. But when she blesses Lou's beloved, 

And seals it with a tender kiss, 
I know that loving words go upward, 
Words to another world than this. 



290 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

14. Alway she speaks in gentle fashion 

About " my boys " — she always will : 
Though one is gray, and one has vanished 
Beyond the touch of time or ill. 



THE CHRISTMAS TREE. 



Hurra! hurra! for the Christmas-tree, 

May it flourish for aye in its greenery. . 

When the winter comes with its whitening snow, 

How proudly the Christmas-tree doth grow! 

It spreadeth its boughs so broad and so fair, 

And jolly and gay are the fruits they bear. 

Then hurra! hurra! for the Christmas-tree; 

Hurra! hurra! for its mirth and glee; 

When forests of oak have passed from the land, 

The jolly old Christmas-tree shall stand. 

There are wonderful plants far over the sea, 
But what are they all to the Christmas-tree? 
Does the oak bear candies, the palm tree skates? 
But sugar-plums, trumpets, doll-babies, slates, 
Picture-books, elephants, soldiers, cows, 
All grow at once on the Christmas-tree boughs. 

Then hurra! hurra! for the Christmas-tree; 

Hurra! hurra! for its mirth and glee; 

When forests of oak have passed from the land, 

The jolly old Christmas-tree shall stand. 

Oh, many the homes it hath happy made, 
When the little ones under its leaves have played; 
Oh, sweet are the pleasures around it that spring, 
And dear are the thoughts of the past they bring. 
Then long may it flourish, and green may it be, 
The merry, mighty old Christmas-tree. 

Hurra! hurra! for the Christmas-tree; 

Long shall it flourish, green shall it be; 

When forests have passed away from the land, 

The jolly old Christmas-tree shall stand. 

— Philadelphia Post. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 291 

MY MOTHER. 

SIR WALTER SCOTT. 

1. The feast was o'er. Now brimming wine 
In lordly cup was seen to shine 

Before each eager guest; 
And silence filled the crowded hall 
As deep as when the herald's call 

Thrills in the loyal breast. 

2. Then up arose the noble host, 

And, smiling, cried: " A toast! A toast! 

To all our ladies fair; 
Here, before all, I pledge the name 
Of Santon's proud and beauteous dame, 

The Lady Gundamere." 

3. Quick to his feet each gallant sprang, 
And joyous was the shout that rang, 

As Stanley gave the word; 
And every cup was raised on high, 
Nor ceased the loud and gladsome cry 

Till Stanley's voice was heard. 

4. "Enough, enough," he smiling, said, 

And lowly bent his haughty head; 

" That all may have their due, 
Now each in turn must play his part 
And pledge the lady of his heart, 
Like gallant knight and true." 

5- Then, one by one, each guest sprang up, 
And drained in turn the brimming cup, 

And named the loved one's name; 
And, each, as hand on high he raised, 
His lady's grace and beauty praised, 

Her constancy and fame. 

6, 'Tis now St. Leon's turn to rise; 

On him are fixed those countless eyes; 

A gallant knight is he; 
Envied by some, admired by all, 
Far famed in lady's bower and hall, 
The flower of chivalry. 



292 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

7. St. Leon raised his kindling eye, 
And held the sparkling cup on high: 

" I drink to one," he said, 
" Whose image never may depart 
Deep graven on this grateful heart, 
Till memory ba dead. 

8. " To one whose love for me shall last 

When lighter passions long have past, 

So deep it is and pure; 
Whose love hath longer dwelt, I ween, 
Than any yet that pledged have been 

By these brave knights before." 

9. Each guest upstarted at the word, 
And laid a hand upon his sword 

With fiery-flashing eye; 
And Stanley said: "We crave the name, 
Proud knight, of this most peerless dame, 

Whose love you count so high." 

10. St. Leon paused, as if he would 

Not breathe her name in careless mood 

Thus lightly to another; 
Then bent his noble head, as though 
To give that word the reverence due, 
And gently said, " My mother." 



LOVE TRIUMPHANT. 

Upon the ocean's briny shore I stood, 
And wrote with fragile reed 
Upon the sand: 

" Agnes, I love thee! " 
The waves rolled in and washed 
Away the fair impression. 
Cruel wave! frail reed: "treacherous sand," 
I'll trust thee no more, 
But with giant hand I'll pluck 
From Norway's frozen shore 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 293 

Her tallest pine, and dip its top 

In the crater of Vesuvius, 

And upon the high and burnished heavens 

I'll write — 

"Agnes, I love thee!" 
And I would like to see any 
Confounded wave wash that out. 

— " Encore." 



SOCKERY KADACUT'S KAT. 

1. Oh ! I had de vorsht dime lashd veek dot you effer saw. 
Katrina (dot vas mine frau) vent avay to make a leeddle bic-nic, und as 
1 vas been hafin' de shake und agers, und didn't feel pooty goot, I 
shtayed to home. 

2. Veil, as I vas valkin' arount de parn yart, I saw dot same olt 
plue hen coom out from unter der parn, sa} r in' : " Kut, kut, ka-dah-kut, 
kut, kut, ka-dah-kut," und I tought to myself, meppy dere vas a nest of 
aigs unter dere ; so I pull oud half a tozzen more shdones, und mait a 
hole so pig as I can crawl unter, und den as I vas crawlin' arount unter 
a-lookin' for some nest mit aigs, all at vonce I shpied de pootiest leeddle 
kat vat I effer seen ; he vas all plack, mit vite shtripes, und vas shnug- 
gled ub in a leeddle pall fasht ashleeb. 

3. Vell,ve vas been wantin' a kat, because dere vas so many mouses 
in de house, und I tought if I kin git dot von I '11 make Katrina a leeddle 
surbrise barty ; so I krawl along so shdill as nefer vas, till I got ub close 
to him, den I mait a grab und I ketched him by de neck so dot he don't 
kin pite me ; but ach, mine gootness, vat shmell, it vas vorse as a hun- 
dredt parrels of limburgher ! I" tought I had stepped on someding dot vas 
deat ; I vas most shoke mit dot schmell ; but I held dot leeddle kat up 
close to me und klimb oud so kwick as I can. 

4. Ven I got oud in de parn yart, dere vas pig Chake Moser goin' 
py, und ven he seen me, he sait, " Socket, you olt Deutch fool, vot are 
you doin' mit dot shkunk ? " "Shkunk!" I sait, "I tought dot vas a 
leeddle kat," und I drop him so quick like he vas hot. 

5. Veil, Chake he laf like he vould kill himself, und I ask him vat 
I kin do to get me off dot shmell. He said dot de only ding vas to be 
perried in de ground till de earth absorp the shmell, und he sait he 
vould tig de hole und fix me in, if I vish ; veil, I dink dot is very goot 



294 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

of Chake, und I tought if I can get me dot shmell off before Katrina 
coorns home, I von't say any ding about dot leeddle kat to any poty. 

6. So Chake dig de hole, unt I sit down in it unt vas perried up to 
neck ; den Chake sait he vas in a hurry, und he must go to de willage, 
und he vent avay. Booty soon kwick a fly lite on my face, und I koodn't 
prush him off, cos my arms vas perried doo, und booty soon more as a 
hundret flies und effery ding vas krawl all ofer my het, und I shpit und 
plow und vink my face dill I dink I vas gone crazy. 

7. Bimepy I heart a noise doun the roat, und looked, und dere vas 
apoud efery man, vooman und shildren in de willage, mit shpades, mit 
bic-axes, mit shuffles, mit eferydings, und all runnin' rite ub de hill to 
my house ; in a minnit more as dwenty vas in der yart, und ven dey see 
me perried to de chin, und vinkin', und shpitten at dem flies, dere eyes 
shtuck oud more as a half a feet, und Dick Klaus sait, " Vot vos you doiii* 
dere, Sockery ? " 

8. Veil, I see dot dere vas no use drying to keep dot shtill, so I 
told 'em all aboud dot leeddle kat, und, my chimminy cracious ! you kood 
hear dem fellows laff more as a mile. 

9. You see dot fool of a Chake Moser run und told dem in de 
willage dot dere vas a man perried alive up to Kadacut's, so of course 
efery pody coom to git him oud. 

10. Veil, dey tig me oud, und I trow away dem clothes, und vash, 
und vash, but ven Katrina coom ad nide, I shmell so dot she mait me 
sleeb in de parn for a whole veek. 

11. I tink I shall moof avay ; eferypody vants to know if I vant 
to py a kat, und I don'd kan shtand dis much longer yet. 



"DON'T BE TAZIN* ME" 

WADE WHIPPLE. 

" I 'm after axin', Biddy dear," 

And then he stopped awhile 
To fringe his words the merest mite 

"With something of a smile — 
A smile that found its image 

In a face of beauteous mould, 
Whose liquid eyes w^ere peeping 

From a broidery of gold. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 295 

2. " I 've come to ax ye, Biddy, dear, 

If" — then he stopped again, 
As if his heart had bubbled o'er 

And overflowed his brain ; 
His lips were twitching nervously 

O'er what they had to tell, 
And timed their quavers with the eyes 

That gently rose and fell. 

3. " I 've come " — and then he took her hands 

And held them in his own — 
" To ax " — and then he watched the buds 

That on her cheeks had blown — 
" Me purty dear " — and then he heard 

The throbbing of her heart, 
That told how love had entered in 

And claimed its every part. 

4. " Och ! don't be tazin' me," said she, 

With just the faintest sigh. 
" 1 'm far from bloind ; I see you 've come, 

But fhat's the reason why ? " 
" To ax " — and once again the tongue 

Forbade its sweets to tell — 
" To ax — if Mrs. Mulligan 

Has any pigs to sell ?" 



AN EVANGEL. 



The Lord alone with Peter walked one day 

Where bright Genesareth in sunshine lay ; 

At that hour, when the sun had fiercest glare, 

They reached a cottage as they wandered, where, 

Before a doorway, ruinous and low, 

A fisher's widow sat, in garb of woe, 

Full of sad thoughts. Yet she forebore to weep, 

That she might spin her task and rock her babe to sleep. 



296 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

2. Not far away the Lord and Peter stood, 
Half hidden by a fig-tree in a wood. 

As they looked on unseen, along the road 
Came an old beggar staggering with a load, 
An earthen jar poised on his trembling head ; 
He paused before the widow, and he said : 
" Woman, this milk has to be carried still 
A half-mile further over yonder hill ; 
But, as you see, exhausted by the heat, 
I cannot get it to the village street ; 
And if I find no help, I lose to-day 
The penny I was promised as my pay." 

3. The widow rose. She neither spoke nor smiled, 
But dropped her distaff, ceased to lull her child. 
Raised the tall pitcher slowly on her head, 
Waved the man on, and followed in his tread. 

4. Then eager Peter spoke : "Master," he said, 
" 'Tis right to succor those who need our aid ; 

But is this woman doing right to fly 
From house and child to help a passer-by ? 
Doubtless the man need not have travelled far 
To find some idler who would bear his jar." 

5. Then the Lord looked on Peter : " Be thou sure, 
Whene'er a poor man helps a man more poor, 
My Father's care o'er his own home is thrown ; 
She hath done well in that which she has done." 

6. As thus the Lord his servant's zeal restrained, 
He took the mother's place, and even deigned 
The distaff with His hands divine to ply, 

And rocked the restless babe, and sang its lullaby. 

7. Then rising when it slept, He waved His hand, 
And Peter followed at his mute command. 
When the poor woman reached her cabin bare — 
A home made rich by God's protecting care — 

She found — but never knew by whom 'twas done — 
That her baby slept, and that her flax was spun. 

— From the French of Francois Goppee. 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 297 

HOW A FRENCHMAN ENTERTAINED JOHN BULL. 

1. In years bygone, before the famous Rockaway Pavilion was 
built, the Half -Way House, at Jamaica, Long Island, used to be filled with 
travelers to the sea-shore, who put up there, and visited the beach, either 
in their own or in hired vehicles, during the day. One warm summer even- 
ing, when the house was unusually crowded, an Englishman rode up in a 
gig and asked for accommodation for the night. The landlord replied that 
all his rooms were taken, and all his beds, except one, which was in a 
suite of rooms occupied by a French gentleman. " If you and Monsieur 
can agree to room together," said the landlord, "there is an excellent 
vacant bed there." 

2. The traveler replied, " No, I cannot sleep in the same room 
with any d — Frenchman," and off he rode with all the grum looks of a 
real John Bull. 

3. In about half an hour, however, he came back, saying that, as 
he could find no other lodgings, he believed he would have to accept the 
Frenchman as a room-mate. Meantime his first ill-natured remark had 
somehow reached the French gentleman's ears, and he resolved to pay 
off Johnny in his own coin. 

4. On being shown to the apartment, the Englishman stalked in, 
in his accustomed haughty manner, while the Frenchman, as is usual 
with his nation, rose and received him with smiles and bows — in short, 
he was more precisely polite than usual — sarcastically, so, a keen obser- 
ver would have thought. Not a word passed between the two, but soon 
the Englishman gave a pull at the bell-cord. The Frenchman quietly 
rose from his seat and gave the string two pulls. On the appearance of 
the waiter, Bull said: "Waiter, I want supper: order me a beefsteak, and 
a cup of tea." 

5. The Frenchman instantly said: " Vataire, ordaire two cup tea, 
and two bif steak; I want two suppaire! " 

6. Bull started and looked grum, but said nothing. The French- 
man elevated his. eyebrows and took a huge pinch of snuff. When sup- 
per was ready, the two sat down and ate for a while in silence, when the 
Englishman said: 

7. " Waiter, bring me a bottle of Burgundy." 

The waiter started on his errand, but before reaching the door, the 
Frenchman called to him: " Vataire, come back here! you bring me two 
bottle Burgundy." 

8. Bull knit his brows: Monsieur elevated his, shrugged his 
shoulders, and took another pinch of snuff. The wine was brought, and 
while quaffing it the Englishman said: 



298 RATIONAL ELOCUTION 

" Waiter, bring me an apple tart, and a what d'ye call it, there — a 
Charlotte-de-Russe." 

Monsieur then called to the waiter; " Bring me two of de apple 
tart, and two vat de diable you call him — Sh-Sh Sharlie-de-Ross." 

9. Bull's patience was now exhausted, and before the last order 
could be executed, he started from his seat and rang the bell. The 
Frenchman went to the string and gave it two violent pulls. The 
waiter (who was almost convulsed with laughter) came hurrying back, 
when Bull roared out: 

10. " Waiter, never mind the Charlotte-de-Russe; bring me up a 
bootjack and a pair of slippers." 

The Frenchman responded — "Vataire, you no mind to bring two 
of de Sharlie-de-Ross, but yo bring two slippaire, and two shack-boot." 

11. Before there was time to bring these articles, Bull had 
thoroughly lost his temper, and when the waiter appeared with them, 
he thundered out: 

" Waiter, bring me a candle; and if you have no room in the house 
with a bed in it besides this, show me a settee, or a lounge, or a couple of 
chairs, or, in short, any place where I can rest in peace by myself." 

12. Monsieur instantly called out: " Stop, vataire: you sail bring 
me two candle, and if you have no room with two bed in him, you sail 
bring me two lounge, two settee, and two chair! by gar, I vill rest in two 
pieces!" 

Bull could stand it no longer. He kicked the bootjack out of the 
way and made a rush for the door, banged his head in an attempt to 
open it, ran against the waiter at the head of the stairs, when both tum- 
bled to the bottom, darted into the bar-room, paid his bill, and ordered 
up his horse and gig, swearing he would never sleep in the house with a 
mad Frenchman. 



THE SOUTH DURING THE REVOLUTION. 

ROBERT YOUNG HAYNE. 

1. If there be one State in the Union, Mr. President, — and I say 
it not in a boastful spirit, — that may challenge comparison with any other 
for a uniform, zealous, ardent, uncalculating devotion to the Union, that 
State is South Carolina. 

2. Sir, from the very commencement of the Revolution, up to this 
hour, there is no sacrifice, however great, she has not cheerfully made; 
no service she has hesitated to perform. She has adhered to you, in your 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 299 

prosperity; but, in your adversity, she has clung to you, with more than 
filial affection. 

3. No matter what was the condition of her domestic affairs; 
though deprived of her resources, divided by parties, or surrounded with 
difficulties, the call of the country has been to her as the voice of God. 
Domestic discord ceased at the sound; — every man became at once rec- 
onciled to his brethren; and the sons of Carolina were all seen crowding 
together to the temple, bringing their gift to the altar of their common 
country. 

4. What, sir, was the conduct of the South, during the Revolu- 
tion? Sir, I honor New England for her conduct in that glorious strug- 
gle. But great as is the praise which belongs to her, I think, at least, 
equal honor is due to the South. They espoused the quarrel of their 
brethren, with a generous zeal, which did not suffer them to stop to cal- 
culate their interests in the dispute. 

5. Favorites of the mother country, possessed of neither ships nor 
seamen, to create a commercial relationship, they might have found in 
their situation, a guarantee that their trade would be forever fostered 
and protected by Great Britain. But, trampling on all consideration, 
either of interest or of safety, they rush into the conflict; and fighting 
for principle, periled all in the sacred cause of freedom. 

6. Never were there exhibited in the history of the world, higher 
examples of noble daring, dreadful suffering, and heroic endurance than 
by the Whigs of Carolina during the Revolution. The whole State, from 
the mountains to the sea, was overrun by an overwhelming force of the 
enemy. The fruits of industry perished on the spot where they were 
produced, or were consumed by the foe. The ' plains of Carolina ' drank 
up the most precious blood of her citizens. Black and smoking ruins 
marked the places which had been the habitations of her children! 

7. Driven from their homes into the gloomy and almost impene- 
trable swamps, — even there the spirit of liberty survived; and South Caro- 
lina, sustained by the example of her Sumpters and her Marions, proved 
by her conduct that though her soil might be overrun, the spirit of her 
people was invincible! 



BRUTUS ON THE DEATH OF CAESAR. 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. 

{Admirably adapted for drill in orotund quality.) 
1, Romans, countrymen and lovers! Hear me for my cause; and 
be silent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor; and have 



300 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

respect to mine honor, that you may believe. Censure me in your wis- 
dom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there 
be any in this assembly, — any dear friend of Caesar's, — to him I say, that 
Brutus's love to Caesar was not less than his. 

2. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this 
is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. 
Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar 
were dead, to live all freemen? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as 
he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but as 
he was ambitious, I slew him. There are tears for his love, joy for his 
fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition. 

3. Who is here so base, that would be a bondman? If any, speak; 
for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a 
Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile, 
that will not love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended. 
I pause for a reply. 

4. None? Then none have I offended. I have done no more to 
Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is en- 
rolled in the Capitol, his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; 
nor his offenses enforced, for which he suffered death. 

5. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he 
had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, — a place 
in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart: — 
That as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same 
dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death. 

(See Mark Antony's reply in " Common School Elocutionary Selec- 
tions.") 



AMERICA. 

JOHN ERNEST M*CANN. 

1. America! Mine! 

Ay, comrades, and thine. 
Thy very name ripples with music, and rolls 
Like the oceans that surge 'twixt the mystical poles. 

Land of great Boone, 

Of Marion, Wayne; 
Of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Kane, 
Of thousands that lived, and died all too soon; 
Who beat out broad paths- for the new feet to tread, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 30] 

From the time when the first white man met the first red, 
Down to Crockett's and Bowie's, they of the band 
Who for liberty died by the old Rio Grande! 
The Alamo forget not, nor for what that band died, 
"While reason sits throned in its glorious pride. 
Remember our Kearneys, our Grants — and the brave 
Who counted life nought the old Union to save! 

2. My dear, native land! 
I lift my right hand, 

With my left on my heart, and my eyes to the skies, 

And my soul on my tongue, 
While I list to the breezes that, mayhap, have sung, 
Round the world since the dawn of creation 
Tore the veil of the long night apart— 

My very heart cries, 
To be born in thee, be of thee, breathe thy sweet air, 
To die in thee, rest in thee, under the glare 
Of the sun and the moon, and the stars and the folds 
Of the stars and the bars of thy banner, which holds, 
Over all, that which monarch's despise; 
Liberty, brotherhood, union, and all, 

Here, on the sod, 

Under night's pall, 

I cry out, Thank God! 

3. America! Mine! 
Ay, any man's — thine! 

Thine, from the jungle, from Africa's plain; 

From the knout, from the chain; 

From the lands where the mothers of conscripts' tears flow 

Like the rain, 
When the flesh of their flesh and the bone of their bone 
March away to fight, wound, and be slain; 
From the fair land of Poland, Italy, Spain; 

From Erin, whose woe 
Fills the hearts of republics with horror and pain, 

This land of the free is for thee! 
Live in it, work in it, love in it, weep in it, 
Laugh in it, sing in it, die in it, sleep in it! 

For it's free, and for thee and for me. 
The fairest 



302 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

And rarest 
That man ever trod, 
The sweetest and dearest 
'Twixt the sky and the sod, 

And it's mine, 

And it's thine, 
Thank God! 



EVENING AT THE FARM, 

J. T. TROWBRIDGE. 

Over the hill the farm-boy goes, 
His shadow lengthens along the land; 
A giant staff in a giant hand; 
In the poplar-tree, above the spring, 
The katydid begins to sing; 

The early dews are falling; 
Into the stone-heap darts the mink: 
The swallows skim the river's brink; 
And home to the woodland fly the crows, 
When over the -hill the farm-boy goes, 
Cheerily calling, 

"Co' boss! co' boss! co'! co'! co'!" 
Farther, farther, over the hill, 
Faintly calling, calling still, 

" Co' boss! co' boss! co'! co'! co'! " 

Into the yard the farmer goes 

With grateful heart at the close of day; 

Harness and chain are hung away; 

In the wagon sheds stands yoke and plow; 

The straw's in the stack, the hay in the mow, 

The cooling dews are falling; 
The friendly sheep their welcome bleat, 
The pigs come grunting at his feet, 
And the whinnying mare her master knows 
When into the yard the farmer goes, 

His cattle calling, 
" Co' boss! co' boss! oo'I co*'! co'! " 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 303 

While still the cow-boy, far away, 
Goes seeking those that have gone astray, 
" Co' boss! co' boss! co'! co'! co'!" 

3. Now to her task the milkmaid goes; 

The cattle come crowding through the gate, 
Lowing, pushing, little and great; 
About the trough, by the farm yard pump, 
The frolicsome yearlings frisk and jump, 

While the pleasant dews are falling; 
The new milch heifer is quick and shy, 
But the old cow waits with tranquil eye, 
And the white stream into the bright pail flows 
When to her task the milkmaid goes, 

Soothingly calling, 
"So, boss! so, boss! so! so! so!" 
The cheerful milkmaid takes her stool, 
And sits and milks in the twilight cool, 
Saying, "So! so, boss! so! so!" 

4. To supper at last the farmer goes; 
The apples are pared, the paper read, 
The stories are told, then all to bed. 
Without, the cricket's ceaseless song 
Makes shrill the silence all night long; 
The heavy dews are falling; 

The housewife's hand has turned the lock; 
Drowsily ticks the kitchen clock; 
The household sinks to deep repose, 
But still in sleep the farm-boy goes, 
Singing, calling, 

"Co' boss! co' boss! co'! co'! co'!" 
And oft the milkmaid, in her dream, 
Drums in the pail with the flashing stream, 

Murmuring, "So, boss! so!" 



FLAG OF THE RAINBOW. 

THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH. 

Flag of the rainbow, and banner of stars, 

Emblem of light, and shield of the lowly, 
Never to droop while our soldiers and tars 



304 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Rally to guard it from outrage unholy. 
Never may shame or misfortune attend it, 
Enmity sully, or treachery rend it, 
While but a man is alive to defend it: 

Flag of the rainbow, and banner of stars. 

Flag of a land where the people are free, 

Ever the breezes salute and caress it; 
Planted on earth, or afloat on the sea, 

Gallant men guard it, and fair women bless it. 
Fling out its folds o'er a country united, 
Warmed by the fires that our forefathers lighted, 
Refuge where down-trodden man is invited: 
Flag of the rainbow, and banner of stars. 

Flag that our sires gave in trust to their sons, 

Symbol and sign of a liberty glorious, 
While the grass grows and the clear water runs, 

Ever invincible, ever victorious. 
Long may it 'waken our pride and devotion, 
Rippling its colors in musical motion, 
First on the land, and supreme on the ocean: 
Flag of the rainbow, and banner of stars. 



CUSTER'S LAST CHARGE. 

FREDERICK WHITTAKER. 

1. "Dead! Is it possible? He, the bold rider, 

Custer, our hero, the first in the fight, 
Charming the bullets of yore to fly wider, 

Shunning our battle-king's ringlets of light! 
Dead! our young chieftain, and dead all forsaken! 

No one to tell us the way of his fall! 
Slain in the desert, and never to waken, 

Never, not even to victory's call! " 

2. Comrades, he's gone; but ye need not be grieving. 

No, may my death be like his when I die! 
No regrets wasted on words I am leaving, 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 305 

Falling with brave men and face to the sky. 
Death's but a journey, the greatest must take it: 

Fame is eternal, and better than all. 
Gold though the bowl be, 'tis fate that must break it, 

Glory can hallow the fragments that fall. 

Proud for his fame that last day that he met them ! 

All the night long he had been on their track, 
Scorning their traps and the men that had set them, 

Wild for a charge that should never give back. 
There on the hill-top he halted and saw them, 

Lodges all loosened, and ready to fly. 
Hurrying scouts, with the tidings to awe them, 



4. All the wide valley was full of their forces, 

Gathered to cover the lodges' retreat, 
Warriors running in haste to their horses, 

Thousands of enemies close to his feet! 
Down in the valleys the ages had hollowed, 

There lay the Sitting Bull's camp for a prey! 
Numbers! What recked he? What recked those who fol- 
lowed? 

Men who had fought ten to one ere that day? 

5. Out swept the squadrons, the fated three hundred, 

Into the battle-line steady and full; 
Then down the hill- side exultingly thundered, 

Into the hordes of the Old Sitting Bull! 
Wild Ogalallah, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, 

Wild Horse's braves and the rest of their crew, 
Shrank from that charge like a herd from a lion. 

Then closed around the great hell of wild Sioux. 

6. Right to their center he charged, and then facing- 

Hark to those yells! and around them, oh, see! 
Over the hill-tops the devils come racing, 

Coming as fast as the waves of the sea! 
Red was the circle of fire about them : 

No hope of victory, no ray of light, 
Shot through that terrible black cloud without them, 

Brooding in death over Custer's last fight. 



306 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

7. Then, did he dlench? Did he die like a craven, 

Begging those torturing fiends for his life? 
Was there a soldier who carried the Seven 

Flinched like a coward or fled from the strife? 
No, by the blood of our Custer, no quailing! 

There in the midst of the devils they close, 
Hemmed in by thousands, but ever assailing, 

Fighting like tigers, all bayed amid foes! 

8. Thicker and thicker the bullets came singing, 

Down go the horses and riders and all; 
Swiftly the warriors round them were ringing, 

Circling like buzzards awaiting their fall. 
See the wild steeds of the mountain and prairie, 

Savage eyes gleaming from forests of mane; 
Quivering lances with pennons so airy; 

War-painted warriors charging amain. 

9. Backward again and again they were driven, 

Shrinking to close with the lost little band. 
Never a cap that had worn the bright Seven 

Bow'd till its wearer was dead on the strand. 
Closer and closer the death-circle growing, 

Even the leader's voice, clarion clear, 
Rang out his words of encouragement glowing, 
" We can but die once, boys, but sell your lives deak!" 

10. Dearly they sold them, like Berserkers raging, 

Facing the death that encircled them round; 
Death's bitter pangs by their vengeance assuaging, 

Marking their tracks by their dead on the ground. 
Comrades, our children shall yet tell their story, 

Custer's last charge on the Old Sitting Bull; 
And ages shall swear that the cup of his glory 

Needed but that death to render it full. 



NATHAN HALE, THE MARTYR SPY. 

ISAAC HINTON BROWN. 

[After the disastrous defeat of the Americans on Long Island, Washington 
desired information respecting the British position and movements. Capt. IS T athan 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 307 

Hale, but twenty-one years old, volunteered to procure the information. He was 
taken and hanged as a spy the day after his capture, Sept. 22, 1776. His patriotic de- 
votion, and brutal treatment received at the hands of his captors, have suggested the 
following:] 

1. 'Twas in the year that gave the Nation birth — ■ 
A time when men esteemed the common good 

As greater weal than private gain, A battle tierce 
And obstinate had laid a thousand patriots low, 
And filled the people's hearts with gloom. 

Pursued like hunted deer, 
The crippled army fled; and, yet, amid 
Disaster and defeat, the Nation's chosen chief 
Resolved his losses to retrieve. But not 
With armies disciplined and trained by years 
Of martial service, could he, this Fabian chief, 
Now hope to check the host's of Howe's victorious legions — 
These had he not. 

2. In stratagem the shrewder general 
Ofttimes o'ercomes his strong antagonist. 
To Washington a knowledge of the plans, 
Position, strength of England's force 
Must compensate for lack of numbers. 

3. He casts about for one who'd take his life 
In hand. Lo! he stands before the chief. In face, 
A boy — in form, a man on whom the eye could rest 
In search of God's perfected handiwork, 

In culture, grace, and speech, reflecting all 
A mother's love could lavish on an only son. 

4. The chieftain's keen discerning eye 
Appraised the youth at his full worth, and saw 
In him those blending qualities that make 
The hero and the sage. - He fain would save 
For nobler deeds a man whose presence marked 
A spirit born to lead. 

5. ' Young man," he said with kindly air, 
" Your country and commander feel grateful that 
Such talents are offered in this darkening hour. 
Have you in reaching this resolve, considered well 
Your fitness, courage, strength, — the act, the risk, 



308 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

You undertake? Have you, in that fine balance, which 
Detects an atom on either beam, weighed well 
Your chance3 of escape 'gainst certain fate 
Should capture follow in the British camp?" 

6. In tones of fitting modesty that well 
Became his years, the patriot answered thus: 
" My country's honor, safety, life, it ever was 

My highest purpose to defend: that country's foes 

Exultant sweep through ruined land and home 

And field. A thousand stricken hearts bewail 

The loss of those who late our standards bore — 

Appeal to us through weeping eyes whose tears 

We cannot brush away with words. The ranks 

Of those now cold in death are not replaced 

By living men. The hour demands a duty rare — 

Perhaps a sacrifice. If God and training in 

The schools have given me capacities 

This duty to perform, the danger of the enterprise 

Should not deter me from the act 

Whose issue makes our country free. In times 

Like these a Nation's life sometimes upon 

A single life depends. If mine be deemed 

A fitting sacrifice, God grant a quick 

Deliverance." 

7. " Enough, go then, at once," the great 
Commander said: "May Heaven's guardian angels give 
You safe return. Adieu." 

8. Disguised with care, the hopeful captain crossed 
The bay, and moved through British camp 

Without discovery by troops or refugees. 
The enemy's full strength, in men, in stores, 
Munitions, guns,— all military accoutrements 
Were noted with exact precision; while 
With graphic sketch, each trench and parapet, 
Casemated battery, magazine and every point 
Strategic, was drawn with artist's skill. 

9. The task complete, the spy with heart 
Elate, now sought an exit through the lines. 

Well might he feel a soldier's pride. An hour hence 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 309 

A waiting steed would bear him to his friends. 
His plans he'd lay before his honored chief; 
His single hand might turn the tide of war — 
His country yet be free. 

10. " Halt! " a British musket leveled at 
His head dimmed all the visions of his soul. 
A dash — an aimless shot; — the spy bore down 
Upon the picket with a blow that else 

Had freed him from his clutch, but for a score 

Of troopers stationed near. In vain the struggle fierce 

And desperate — in vain demands to be released. 

A tory relative, for safety quartered in 

The British camp, would prove his truckling loyalty 

With kinsman's blood. A word — a look — 

A motion of the head, and he who'd dared 

So much in freedom's name was free no more. 

11. O, Judas, self-condemned! thou art 
But the type of many a trait'rous friend, 
Who ere and since thy time, betrayed to death 
A noble heart. Henceforth be doubly doomed — 

•A base example to earth's weaker souls. 

Before Lord Howe the captive youth 
Was led. " Base dog! " the haughty general said, 
" Ignoble son of loyal sires! you've played the spy 
Quite well I ween. The cunning skill wherewith 
You wrought these plans and charts might well adorn 
An honest man; but in a rebel's hands they're vile 
And mischievous. If aught may palliate 
A traitor's act, attempted in his sovereign's camp. 
I bid you speak ere I pronounce your sentence." 

12. With tone and mien that hushed 
The buzzing noise of idle lackeys in the hall, 
The patriot thus replied: " You know my name — 
My rank; — my treach'rous kinsman made 

My purpose plain. I've nothing further of myself 
To tell beyond the charge of traitor to deny. 
The brand of spy I do accept without reproach; 
But never since I've known the base ingratitude 
Of king to loyal subjects of his realm 



310 EATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

Has British rule been aught to me than barbarous 
Despotism which God and man abhor, and none 
But dastards fear to overthrow. 

13. For tyrant royalty your lordship represents 
I never breathed a loyal breath; and he 

Who calls me traitor seeks a pretext for a crime 
His trembling soul might well condemn." 

" I'll hear no more such prating cant," 
Said Howe, " Your crime's enough to hang a dozen meu, 
Before to-morrow's sun goes down you'll swing 
'Twixt earth and heaven, that your countrymen 
May know a British camp is dangerous ground 
For prowling spies. Away." 

14. In loathsome cell, deprived 

Of holy Sacrament, and e'en the word of Him 
"Who cheered the thief upon the cross, — refused 
The means wherewith he would indite his last 
Farewell to her who gave him life, 
And to another whose young heart 
To-morrow's work would shade in gloom, 
He passed the night in charge of one whom Satan had 
Commissioned hell's sharpest torments to inflict. 

15. Securely bound upon a cart, amid 

A speechless crowd, he stands beneath a strong 
Projecting limb, to which a rope with noose attached, 
Portends a tragic scene. He casts his eyes 
Upon the surging multitude. Clearly now 
His tones ring out as victors shout in triumph: 

16. a Men, I do not die in vain. 

My humble death upon this tree will light anew 
The Torch of Liberty. A hundred hands to one 
Before will strike for country, home and God, 
And fill our ranks with men of faith in His 
Eternal plan to make this people free. 
A million prayers go up this day to free 
The land from blighting curse of tyrant's rule. 
Oppression's wrongs have reached Jehovah's throne: 
The God of vengeance smites the foe! This land— 



MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 311 

This glorious land, — is free — is free! 

" My friends, farewell, in dying thus 
I feel but one regret; it is the one poor life 
I have to give in Freedom's cause." 



LEONIDAS. 
George Croly. 



Shout for the mighty men 

Who died along this shore, 
Who died within this mountain glen! 
For never nobler chieftain's head 
Was laid on valor's crimsom bed, 

Nor ever prouder gore 
Sprang forth, than theirs who won the day. 
Upon thy Strand, Thermopylae! 

Shout for the mighty men 

Who on the Persian tents, 
Like lions from their midnight den 
Bounding on the slumbering deer, 
Eushing — a storm of sword and spear: 

Like the roused elements, 
Let loose from an immortal hand 
To chasten or to crush a land! 

But there are noDe to hear — 

Greece is a hopeless slave. 
Leonidas! no hand is near 
To lift thy fiery falchion now; 
No warrior makes the warrior's vow 

Upon thy sea-washed grave. 
The voice that should be raised by men 
Must now be given by wave and glen. 

And it is given!— the surge, 

The tree, the rock, the sand 
On Freedom's kneeling spirit urge, 
In sounds that speak but to the free, 



312 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

The memory of thine and theel 

The vision of thy band 
Still gleams within the glorious dell 
Where their gore hallowed as it fell! 

And is thy grandeur done? 

Mother of men like these! 
Has not thy outcry gone 
Where Justice has an ear to hear? — 
Be holy! God shall guide thy spear, 

Till in thy crimsoned seas 
Are plunged the chain and scimitar. 
Greece shall be a new-born star! 



THE PROPHECY, 

MRS. E. V. WILSON. 

" There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip. " 

1. A King of Thrace had vineyards fair to see, 

Thick on ,the vines the purple clusters hung. 
Toiling among them once there chanced to be 

A slave who cooled with grapes his parching tongue. 

2. The King beheld and cried: "You pluck the fruit 

That grows and ripens for your master's use?" 
Then, as the slave stood terrified and mute, 
He loaded him with blows and vile abuse. 

3. When, as he ceased, the sullen slave bent low 

And spoke as one who had no words to waste: 
" For you, O King, the luscious fruit may grow, 
The wine it yields your lips will never taste! " 

4. The King laughed loud, and' turning on his heel 

Repeated to his courtiers, as a jest, 
The prophecy, and said: "The knave shall kneel 
And proffer us the wine when at its best." 

5. Time passed; the red wine sparkled in the cup; 

The slave was summoned to the palace hall. 









MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 313 

Lo! as he knelt, holding the vessel up, 
A voice rang out that startled one and all. 

6. "Ho, the king's vineyards; ho, the guards," it said, 

" A fierce wild boar has broken from its bounds 
And scaled the wall; the keepers all have fled. 
Unchecked he layeth waste the royal grounds." 

7. Up sprang the angry king, and seized his spear, 

Thrusting the goblet and the slave aside. 
" Let those," he cried, " tarry behind who fear, 
I'll slay the beast whatever else betide." 

8. The vineyard 'reached, with well-poised spear be ran, 

And twice the brute's broad shoulder felt his thrust, 
When rose a cry of horror from each man— 
The king had slipped and fallen in the dust. 

9. Fiercely the wounded boar upon him pressed, 

Though twenty spearsmen strove his course to stay. 
The sharp tusks entered the unguarded breast, 
And side by side the beast and monarch lay. 

10. As from the ground they raised the dying king, 
His eyes fell on the slave's dark, sullen face, 
"The wine," he gasped, "the wine, make haste and bring." 
Death sealed his lips, the slave still kept his place. 

— From the Chicago Inter-Ocean. 



PATRIOTISM, 

THOMAS F. MEAGHER. 



1. Bereft of patriotism, the heart of a nation will be cold and 
cramped and sordid; the arts will have no enduring impulse, and com- 
merce no invigorating soul; society will degenerate and the mean and 
vicious triumph. Patriotism is not a wild and glittering passion, but a 
glorious reality. The virtue that gave to paganism its dazzling luster, 
to barbarism its redeeming trait, to Christianity its heroic form, is not 
dead. It still lives to console, to sanctify humanity. It has its altar in 
every clime, its worship and festivities. 



314 RATIONAL ELOCUTION. 

2. On the heathered hills of Scotland the sword of Wallace is yet 
a bright tradition. The genius of France, in brilliant literature of the 
day, pays its homage to the piety and heroism of the young Maid of 
Orleans. In her new senate hall, England bids her sculptor place 
among the effigies of her greatest sons, the images of Hampden and of 
Russell. In the gay and graceful capital of Belgium the daring hand of 
Geefs has reared a monument full of glorious meaning to the three 
hundred martyrs of the revolution. By the soft blue waters of Lake 
Lucerne stands the chapel of William Tell. On the anniversary of his 
revolt and victory, across those waters, as they glitter in the July sun, 
skim the light boats of the allied Cantons; from the prows hang the 
banners of the Republic, and as they near the sacred spot, the daughters 
of Lucerne chant hymns of their old poetic land. Then bursts forth the 
glad Te Deum, and heaven again hears the voice of that wild chivalry 
of the mountains, which five centuries since pierced the white eagle of 
Vienna, and flung it bleeding on the rocks of Uri. 

3. At Innspruck, in the black aisle of the old cathedral, the 
peasant of Tyrol kneels before the statue of Andreas Hofer. In the 
defiles and valleys of the Tyrol, who forgets the day on which he fell 
within the walls of Mantua? It is a festal day all through his quiet, 
noble land. In that old cathedral his inspiring memory is recalled amid 
the pageantries of the altar; his image appears in every house; his 
victories and virtues are proclaimed in the songs of the people; and 
when the sun goes down, a chain of fires, in the deep red light of which 
the eagle spreads his wings and holds his giddy revelry, proclaims the 
glory of the chief whose blood has made his native land a sainted spot 
in Europe. 



ARE YOU 
PREPARING fob 
EXAMINATION o* 
REVIEW? 

If so, let us suggest that you procure a copy of 




CROWN'S 
COMMON SCHOOL 
"EXAMINER and 
REVIEW," 



Prepared by a number of County and City Superintendents, under the 
direction of Isaac Hinton Brown, Supt. City Schools, Columbia, Mo. 



It Contains Nearly 4,000 Questions on 

ORTHOGRAPHY, with Answers. BOTANY, with Answers. 

ARITHMETIC, with Answers. ZOOLOGY, with Answers. 

U. S. HISTORY, with Answers. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, with 

PHYSIOLOGY, with Answers. Answers. 

PHILOSOPHY, with Answers. CIVIL GOVERNMENT, with An- 

THEORY AND PRACTICE OF swers. 

TEACHING, with Answers. PENMANSHIP, with Answers. 

READING, with Answers. GEOGRAPHY, with Answers. 

GRAMMAR, with Answers. 

Selected from over 8,000 Examination Papers, used by State. 
County and City Superintendents in the examination of teachers and 
pupils. Answered in the clearest and most concise manner. The 

questions are arranged, as nearly as possible, according to graduation. 

No attempt has been made to multiply questions. 

The most familiar topics are omitted. From the great mass bf material 
at hand the authors have selected those questions and problems only which 
are unusual, or which present peculiar difficulty in their answer or solution 

Designed for Examiners, Teachers, Pupils, and Institute Conductor\ 
and all who desire to pass a creditable examination. 



Full Cloth Binding, 373 pages, Price $1.25. 



It contains as much matter as any $1.50 Question Book 
in the market and sells at Two-Thirds the price. 

How does it sell ? Well, somewhat ! 160,000 copies sold in sever 
3'ears, and many want it yet. 

IT IS PREPAID, TO ANY TEACHER, AT $1.00. 

Agents Wanted, to whom liberal commission will be given. 

A. FLANAGAN, Chicago. 



OF INTEREST TO &VERY50DY! 



THERE is always a demand for something to Read and Speak. There 
are hosts of books in the market, but we believe you can add some 
of the following and save money by so doing. 

BROWN'S CHILD'S SPEECH BOOKS, 

Nos. I, 2, 3 and 4, contain just such matter as children from 5 to 12 
years want. There is a demand for this material that has not been hereto- 
fore satisfactorily filled. Here we have it at a small cost. Retail price 
within reach of all. 10 cents each. 

BROWN'S POPULAR DIALOGUES. 

Nos. 5, 6 and 7, contain such dialogues as pupils 5 to 12 years can- 
not find elsewhere. They are short, to the point, popular and cheap. 
Retail, 10 cents each. 

BROWN'S POPULAR DIALOGUES. 

No. 8, is for older people. Price, 10 cents 

BROWN'S ELOCUTIONARY SELECTIONS. 

Nos. Q and io f are for pupils from 12 to 15 years, and give suggestions 
for delivering, etc. Price, 10 cents each. 

BROWN'S POPULAR SPEAKER. 

Contains 180 pages of the Best Readings, Declamations and Recitations. 
There are always many who will pay well for what they want. Nothing 
better anywhere. Retail price, 25 cents. 

BROWN'S POPULAR READINGS 

No. 1. This is a new collection just out and contains everything that 
is fresh and popular. Also many rare and curious pieces that can not be 
found in any other collection. It also contains the only collection of 
ENCORE RECITATIONS published. To those who always want "some- 
thing new," this is the one that will fill the want. Popular price, 25 cents. 

BROWN'S POPULAR READINGS 

No. 2, contains a careful selection of prose and poetical compositions, 
adapted for Public Readings and School Recitations, with a KEY contain- 
ing the Proper Elements in the delivery of each selection. 230 pages. 
Everything first-class. Will out sell any other book of its kind. The price 
is lower than others. 230 pages — 25 cents. In Cloth, 40 cents. 

TO DEALERS.— We will be pleased to make the most liberal dis- 
counts consistent with good business principles on a trial order for these 
books. The 25 cent books contain as much matter as the ordinary 30 cent 
books in the market and the discounts are more liberal. 

A. FLANAGAN, Chicago. 



BROVSnV'8 

"Universal Arithmetical Papers/" 

For Review. For Examination. 

By ISAAC HINTON BROWN. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Series 1. Contains fifty papers of five problems each, in every imagin- 
able combination of the fundamental rules. Furnishing an excellent drill 
even for advanced pupils. 

Series 2. Contains fifty papers of five problems each, involving every 
principle of Common and Decimal Fractions and Denominate Numbers, 
usually presented in Practical Arithmetics. 

Series 3. Contains fifty papers of five problems each, in every appli- 
cation of Percentage found in Practical Arithmetics. 

Series 4. Contains fifty papers of five problems each, in Fractions and 
Denominate Numbers, more difficult than those in Series 2, and problems 
in Square and Cube Root and Mensuration. 

Series 5. Contains fifty papers of five problems each, in all subjects, 
and more difficult than any of the preceding. The mastery of this series 
implies the highest order of Arithmetical skill. 

ADVANTAGES. 

They save the teacher hours of drudgery in the preparation of suitable 
problems and examination of work. 

They inspire the pupils with the highest enthusiasm. 

They confirm the principles taught in the text-book. 

They furnish the greatest variety of problems. 

The problems being different, THERE IS no copying. 

They are printed on separate papers 7 by 2> l / z inches; in large, clear type, 
with answers on a separate sheet, secured in a strong envelope. 

* PRICES. 

Any one of the five Series, with answers to the problems 20 

The five Series sent to one address, at one time 75 

A Key, containing full solutions to problems of Series 2, 3, 4 and 5, 

cloth, 152 pages 75 



UNIVERSAL ALGEBRA PAPERS. 

For Review. For Examination. 



DESCRIPTION. 

Series "A," contains fifty papers of five problems each, embracing 
problems involving every principle found in Elementary Algebra. They 
furnish an excellent drill even for advanced pupils. 

PRICE, SO CENTS, POSTPAID. 

A. FLANAGAN, Chicago. 



SUPPLEMENTARY READING. 

For all Grades, Interesting. Such as Children Delight to Read. 
Instructive. Moral. Cheap. 

Norse A Collection of 2 ° Stories of NORSE GODS AND HEROES 

^ . . founded on good literature for supplementary Reading, Story 

^LOrlGS. telling, etc. A teacher says in speaking of using them, "I never 

had so much interest with so little effort." The book is nicely 

illustrated and is excellent for Second and Third Grade pupils. Price, 

Paper Cover, 20c; Board Cover, 25c. 



The * ias b een felt anc * the prescription is a wise one. 

yy - -. r> I So says a paper in speaking of Nelson's First Sci= 

PUDllC PUlSC ence Reader. The book has 50 Lessons on such 
topics as The Seeds, The Frog, The Wind, The 
Eskimo, Thanksgiving, Etc. 

The print is large; the pictures are from Nature; there is a picture with every 

lesson; the sentences are in child language; the sentences are short and 

intended to arouse thought; they are about things of 

which the children like to talk. 

Prices: Bound in board, 20 cts.; in cloth, 25 cts. 



Day 



For A Warm TRY COOK'S NATURE MYTHS 

AND STORIES 
• ° • For Little Children. By Flora J. Cooke, 

of the Cook Co., 111., Normal School. The preface 
says: "Feeling the great need of stories founded upon good literature which 
are within the comprehension of little children, I have written the following 
stories, hoping that they may suggest to primary teachers the great wealth of 
material within our easy reach. The book contains stories as follows for pupils 
pf 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades: 

Flower Stories, Insect Stories, Bird Stories, Mineralogy Stories, C!oud Stories, 
Tree Stories, Animal Stories, Sun riyths, Time Stories, Miscellaneous Stories." 
Boards, 96 pages, 20c, postpaid. Paper, 15c, postpaid. Low rates made for class use. 



In History. , EARLY HISTORY STORIES 

J of North, South and Central America. Their 

Discovery and Settlement. Illustrated with over fifty wood engravings. 
Thirty-two stories in all, about the Early Discoveries of North, South and 
Central America. Every teacher and pupil will have a new desire for history 
after reading tie daring °dve::tures, the thrilling escapes, the cruel hardships 
endured and perpetrate! oy be discoverers and founders of the Three 
\mericas. Cloth, ':„z, pp. Price, 5.x. to teachers 40c,; postage 6c. 



Black Beauty. INTEK€ ?JsTRucTly S ^ G AND 

It is an autobiography of a Horse, telling- of his likes and dislikes, his treatment by 
good and bad masters, etc., and will do more good for the horse than tracts, speeches and 
newspaper articles. 240 pp. Price, 20c, six or more at 15c, each. 



Q^nii^lc nf Rlfirk- Rf*5i1lfv Over 500,000 of Black Beauty sold. The 
OeqUGIS Ol DldtK OedULy. sequels will be welcomed. They are 

Our Gold nine, a story of Duke, a Dog and The Strike at Shanes, a strike of the Animals 
belonging to Mr. Shane. These are each 15c, $1.50 per Doz. 

We hav« dozens of other works from 15c upward, and ask a part of vour patronage. 

A. FLANAGAN, Chicago. 
























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